Darkness Within
by Frostimyst
Summary: I'd always thought I was doing the right thing in my mercenary work, hunting down outlaws that committed crimes against the innocent. But little did I know that my view on right and wrong would be shattered when a certain Pokemon literally fell into my life. Apparently, not everything is black and white; but a shade of gray. My name is Weavile, and this is my story.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

Hello to all, this is my first public fanfiction so please feel free to give me advice or point out any errors in the story. I've had this story for a while about halfway complete so I figured I may as well share it. As you might imagine, it takes place in a world similar to the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. I won't have a fixed upload schedule so it may be updated randomly. I welcome reviews and I thank you for reading! Enjoy! -Frostimyst

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My name is Weavile, and just as my name suggests I'm a Weavile. A female adult Weavile who works as a mercenary, hunting down marks for pay. I live in the forest near a small town called Halfway Town, a play on the fact that the town sits halfway in the middle of nowhere. Well, more like it sits exactly in the middle of the Matte region, the counterpart region to the Auren region. There are of course many benefits to being in the middle of nowhere, such as the beautiful scenery and the large amount of wild berries. But, there are many of drawbacks which don't make it the place for everybody: There are many of renegades and outlaws who take refuge in the wilds and caves.

There's a darkness that not all Pokemon can stomach or thrive in, which you wouldn't expect having been introduced to the hearty town of Halfway Town. The darkness of Halfway Town is what brought me to live there, as there had to be a light to illuminate the darkness… I know, it sounds cheesy, but this Weavile has a sense of honour which isn't shared by many nowadays. Nothing unusual about that, no? Unless you consider a bipedal weasel with retractable clawed paws and a feathered headdress unusual, but in the Pokemon world, almost nothing could be considered unusual. Well, almost nothing, as later that day I'd discover. This is my story, and I welcome you to it.

It all started when I was in the middle of a hunt. I was in pursuit of a thief named Mightyena who had stolen from a local Kecleon merchant; the latter whom quickly posted a bounty on the former's head. I, of course, took the job. This led me to a chase through the Shady Forest, a large wooded area that many rogues and renegades took refuge in surrounding Halfway Town.

Mercenaries are Pokemon who work independently or with a guild and team primarily to capture outlaws for reward. I happen to work independently, as I've always worked better without other Pokemon to slow me down or sway my decisions. However, I often find myself out of work because I work primarily for the residents of Halfway Town. The advantage to a guild is that there's never a shortage of requests to take on, however the guild takes a cut of the reward following a job. Regardless of my choices, I was on a request and had an outlaw to capture.

I panted, pushing myself to run faster after the dark lupine Pokemon who ran just out of my reach. "Getting tired, hunter?" He growled back at me mockingly. "Not tired enough that I couldn't catch you, thief." I growled back, baring my canines. Quickly I was realizing I had to end this game soon, as we were reaching the edge of the forest. I wouldn't be able to outrun Mightyena on the open plain, and my energy was reaching its end. Then, I got an idea. Lithely I jumped onto the bark of a tree, propelling myself off of it to quickly cover ground. With a snarl Mightyena realized what I was doing, twisting to react to my actions. My eyes flashed, "Gotcha." I whispered and did a front flip in the air, bringing my scythe-like claws down his back; finishing with a graceful landing in front of him. The results of my trick had left large, debilitating gashes down the length of his back, the kind that would quickly cause blood loss. As I landed, my paw went to the pouch at my waist to retrieve my Mercenary Badge to send the wounded outlaw into custody.

…And that was when, out of nowhere, a large 'CRASH!' sounded out from behind me, sending up a cloud of dust. Quickly I covered my eyes from the stinging cloud. "Not today, Weavile!" Mightyena's barking laughter sounded from somewhere in the dust, and when I was able to see again he was gone. "Damnit." I cursed, turning to investigate the cause of the dust. My eyes widened in shock, as a wounded Gengar lay in the middle of a small impact crater. Gengar was a ghostly humanoid Pokemon with red eyes and a small tail. "Hey, are you okay?" I shouted in alarm, running to the prone Pokemon's side. There was no response, so I quickly assessed the damage. The Gengar's body was covered in large gashes, slowly leaking blue light; his life force. I lay a paw across his forehead, alarmed by what I discovered. His body was warm and very corporeal. Normally, Gengar tended to have a characteristic chilled body temperature. He was in need of immediate medical attention or he wouldn't make it.

Making up my mind in an instant, I decided to abandon the hunt and bring the Gengar back to my home. Carefully I picked up the wounded Pokemon, and began to run as fast as I could to my cave near Halfway Town. "Hang in there, we're not too far." I whispered to his still form, praying to Arceus he'd make it. I couldn't stand to watch another injured innocent die in front of me.

Fortunately, the rise and fall of his chest clued me in that he'd made it the entire trip, as I opened the door and stepped into the vestibule of my cave. The cave was perfect for my line of work, a luxury even. It had a large opening where Pokemon could wait to see me, or leave requests for work. A bulletin board was left there just for that purpose. This cave led to another, with multiple empty rooms. One of these rooms, I'd set up to be my bedroom. And, the best part was the middle room. This one contained a hidden passage outside through an underground river in case I was in trouble. Fortunately I'd never had to use it, but the option was always there.

I headed straight for my room, laying the Gengar down on the pile of dry straw that was my bed. A quick trip back into my storage room yielded some strips of cloth and some medicinal herbs. Laying the materials at the bedside and began to prepare the herbs, placing them on the wounds and then covering them with the cloth, dressing them and cutting off the stem of blue light.

It had taken a few hours, but I'd finally got all of the Gengar's wounds treated. With an exhausted sigh, I slumped against the wall nearby and examined my work. He almost looked harmless, hurt the way he was. But I knew better than to underestimate him, as he was a Gengar; Gengar were known for being powerful ghosts who ate dreams of Pokemon they came across for sustenance. This gave them a bad reputation, and often drove them away from living with other Pokemon. But… there was something about this Gengar that struck me as unusual. I couldn't quite put my paw on it, but for some reason he… wasn't scary. In my line of work, it definitely wasn't a good idea to make assumptions, but somehow I knew there was nothing to fear. So, settling down exactly where I was, I fell asleep.

I was surprised when I woke up that I was still alive. "Ugh…" I groaned, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. To my surprise, I was indoors in what appeared to be a cave. But, I had no idea how I'd gotten here. Everything hurt, I noted, and I saw that somehow my wounds were bandaged. 'What… could have done that? Why would a Pokemon help me?' I let out a sigh, and stood up, looking around the room. Then, I laid eyes upon who I assumed was my rescuer. A Weavile lay asleep, curled up on the ground near the wall. 'Maybe…' I thought, creeping slowly towards the Weavile and examining her. It had crossed my mind that I might eat her dream and leave. But… It wasn't a choice I hoped I'd ever have to make, and maybe this was the fresh start I needed. Resigned, I lay back down and decided to let my choice wait until the morning.

I yawned and rubbed my eyes, ready to greet the day. Beside me I noticed the Gengar had begun to stir. That reminded me, the absence of a telltale migraine that would've suggested my dreams being eaten told me that I was likely safe with this Gengar; I knew that there was something different about him as he could've easily eaten my dreams to recover and escaped in the night. "Good morning." I told the dazed looking Gengar, standing up and extending a paw. "My name is Weavile, I treated your wounds." I introduced myself. His gaze shifted from me, to my paw. "Hmph." He humphed and turned away from me, crossing his arms. "Well you're a pleasant one aren't you." I rolled my eyes, somehow I expected better. "You shouldn't have helped me." He said simply, not moving from position. "And why, may I ask, not? I wouldn't leave a Pokemon in need out to fend for themselves in the forest. You wouldn't have made it if I left you." I argued, frustrated with the unusual ghost. "It's none of your business." He retorted, and his posture told me he wouldn't say any more about it.

"Fine. I'm going to get breakfast, what kinds of berries do you like?" I asked, straightening and extending my claws. "Didn't you hear me the first time? You shouldn't be helping me." He reminded me, as if I'd listen this time. "Look, I'm getting breakfast whether you tell me or not, but I figure at least I can get you something you'll enjoy over something I pick." I crossed my arms in frustration. "...Sitrus." He answered me, finally. I nodded, "I'll be back soon, wait for me here. If you leave, I'm just going to find you and bring you back." I explained cheerfully, ducking out the door before his sarcastic response.

...Of course he'd picked the only berries that couldn't be found naturally in the Shady Forest. But, I was determined to show him that I was trustworthy, so I was going to come back with Sitrus Berries if it killed me. 'How am I going to get Sitrus Berries?' I thought to myself, then realized there may be an easy solution to this. I opened the pouch at my waist, and tipped it into my palm. 1000 Poke fell into my paw, jingling gently as the coins clinked together. "Hmm, I could buy some Sitrus with this..." I contemplated the idea then nodded to myself. I'd head to Halfway Town and see if the Kecleon Merchants had any Sitrus berries in stock.

I sighed, it was getting boring sitting and waiting for the Weavile. One part of me wanted to just flat out leave, ignoring her warning. But the other realized that I wouldn't get anywhere alone... yet, maybe it was better if I just died. I didn't deserve to live, and I certainly wasn't in the mood for living. A bit ironic for a ghost, I know. Raising a hand, I tried my best to summon shadow. But all that appeared was will-o-wisps, I was weak. But, I wouldn't feast on the dreams that would restore my power. It was an endless cycle of frustration. I decided that rather than mope, I'd explore and try to find something to alleviate my boredom. My eyes scanned the room until they fell upon a worn looking book.

Sneakily, I got up and walked to the book, picking it up before making a dramatic dive back to bed. I opened the book before my eyes widened in delight. It was the Weavile's diary! I grinned wickedly, reading the pages with no remorse. 'Why write a book that isn't meant to be read?' I thought to myself. I gasped in horror at the realization: her diary contained a large amount of her self-report as work of a mercenary. That would mean... "I have to leave." I told myself, walking to the door and turning the handle. But I stopped halfway, 'She would come through on her threat if I left...' Sighing, I resigned myself to lying back in bed and reading the rest of her diary.

When I reached Halfway Town I was greeted warmly by the residents, who stopped their work to wave and say 'Good morning!'. Many of them I'd taken jobs to protect them from outlaws, retrieve their belongings, or save their lost friends. For that reason, they were always happy to see me. "Good morning!" I greeted them back, heading towards the Kecleon Mart. Before I ran into Dragonite, that is. "Dragonite!" I shouted, running towards him. I was very happy to see him, he was one of the few friends I had; and a powerful Pokemon who assisted with my mercenary work. Unlike me, he was well renowned for his work to help any and all Pokemon in need. Needless to say, I idolized him. "Weavile!" He shouted back, raising a hand and flying towards me with his tiny draconic wings. "High!" I shouted, jumping and giving him a high five. "Low!" He shouted back, and we gave each other a low-five. "Go slow!" I rhymed, and we did a slow motion high five. "Freestyle!" We shouted in unison, doing a silly dance. There were some stares, but we ignored them. We'd been friends forever and the Pokemon of Halfway Town knew it.

"Haha, good to see you Weavile! How has your work been going? What brings you to Halfway?" Dragonite asked me with a smile. "It's been going okay, I lost a mark the other day but I'm sure they'll turn up again. Oh yeah, and I..." I was about to tell Dragonite about the Gengar, but I realized that it probably wasn't a good idea due to the stigma that Gengar's carried. He may not approve of my choice to take in the Gengar. "And you...?" He prompted, confused. "Oh, yeah! I'm here to buy Sitrus Berries." I announced proudly, extending my paw with the 1000 Poke. "Big spender, huh?" He snickered. 1000 Poke wasn't very much in the long run, but it was enough for a few Sitrus Berries. "You know it!" I smiled and put my 1000 Poke back in my pouch. "Well, what if I told you I had some Sitrus Berries? I've been called out on a job from the guild for the last few days and it was to the coast, so I was able to stock up on Sitrus." He explained.

Dragonite was a mercenary like me, but unlike me he worked for a guild. Often times guilds would employ 'Rescue Teams' to take on missions like we do, but Pokemon who travel alone took up the name 'Mercenaries'. Personally, I just took the local jobs and on rare occasions, I might receive a mission from Dragonite or guilds from different regions to take up a tougher task. I was beginning to gain a reputation so these kinds of missions were beginning to appear more and more.

"Oh! Dragonite, I couldn't. But thank you, I can just go to the Kecleon Mart and buy some. Sitrus are rare here, after all." I explained, walking past him toward the Kecleon Mart. "Oh, no! I insist; I get shipments from the guild on occasion too. You know they have healing properties, right? They're good to keep on hand." He blocked me with an arm, turning and putting numerous Sitrus Berries into my paws. "Well, thanks Dragonite! I'll be sure to take them with me on my jobs." I thanked him, putting them in my pouch. "You're welcome! Don't be a stranger; we miss you here at Halfway!" He waved and we continued on our way. I decided I'd still visit the Kecleon Mart, just in case I ran into something I wanted to buy.

"Ahh, Weavile! Welcome!" Kecleon greeted me from behind the counter. "Hello Kecleon, unfortunately I have bad news regarding your request. Mightyena got away, something came up and I had to let them go. It was life or death, I'm very sorry. I'll work on tracking Mightyena down again as soon as possible." I apologized profusely. "Oh don't worry about it~ you can work on my request whenever you're able. Until then, are you here to buy?" He asked hopefully. I smiled. "Why yes, I am. I have 1000 Poke, do you have any recommendations?" I asked, revealing the 1000 Poke. Kecleon's eyes lit up at the sight of the Poke, and quickly he dove beneath the counter, resurfacing with a strange shiny stone and a carton of berries. "This is a Flash Orb, if you break it; it lets out a blinding flash! Maybe you'll find it useful hunting for outlaws." He explained, and then moved to the berries. "Assorted local berries, including Oran, Cheri, Pecha, Persim, Lum, Kelpsy, and Maranga." He pointed out the berries. "1000 Poke." He concluded, waiting for a response. "I'll take it!" I affirmed, handing him the 1000 Poke.


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm home!" I shouted into the cave, skipping into the room. I nearly dropped my berries in surprise at what I saw. Gengar was casually reading a book... and that book... "Hey! You can't just read someone's diary!" I yelled at the Gengar in embarrassment, blushing. "You didn't exactly leave me anything else to do." He rolled his eyes, casually flipping to the next page. I placed the berries on the ground, before snatching my diary out of his hands. "What did you read?" I growled at him, an itching in my paws tempting me to extend my claws. "Not too much, only about your mercenary work. It's quite interesting, actually. Reads like an action story. You should write a book." He explained nonchalantly, crossing his arms once again. I sighed; there would be no getting through to him about the sins of reading a female Pokemon's diary.

Placing the diary at the far end of the room, I took out the Sitrus Berries from my pouch. "Here, I got you the Sitrus Berries." I told him, extending them to him in my paws. "It took you long enough." He told me, taking the Sitrus Berries from me. "They aren't native here." I explained, sitting down beside the carton of assorted berries and making a selection. "...Really? Where am I?" He asked, surprised. "Are you familiar with Halfway Town?" I answered him with a question. "That far..." He whispered to himself, and then raised his gaze to mine. "Thank you." He told me reluctantly, before averting his gaze again shyly. "You're welcome." I told him, selecting an Oran Berry and putting it in my mouth. All of the travelling from Halfway to home made me hungry.

"You never told me your name." I prompted, munching on another berry. "Not that it should matter to you, but you can call me Gengar." He told me hesitantly, eating a Sitrus Berry. "Somehow I think you know this already, but I was in the middle of the hunt when you fell out of the sky. Care to explain?" I asked. "None of your business." He insisted, shutting down conversation yet again.

"All right, fine. After lunch I'm going to check your wounds." I explained with a false cheerfulness and he looked a bit alarmed. "Wait, wait... If I tell you what happened can we not check my wounds?" He asked me with concern, extending a hand in desperation. I gave him a confused look. "I have to check your wounds to make sure they're healing. But I might be gentler if you tell me." I replied, overall baffled by his reaction. "...It's going to hurt..." He finally admitted, still no less concerned. "But they might get infected and then you'd die." I explained, shrugging. "I almost wouldn't mind that..." He muttered to himself, rolling his eyes. "What was that?" I growled at him. "Nothing." He responded, defiantly averting his gaze.

True to my word, after breakfast I gathered all of the supplies I needed to change the dressings on his wounds. "You don't have to do this…" Gengar told me, pressed against the wall in fear. "Do so." I continued my approach with supplies in hand. "Stay back! Or else!" He growled at me. "Or else what? Are you going to hurt me?" I smirked, almost in reach of Gengar. "I might." He seemed to dare me to come closer. "No you won't, trust me I know." I smiled.

He grumbled as I reached out to put a paw on his forehead. To my surprise, he was still warm. I gasped, and became serious once again. "Are you feeling alright?" I asked, alarmed, and moved my paw to find the same result. "Uhh… yeah? What's the problem?" He asked, glaring disdainfully at my paw. "You're…warm." I admitted, withdrawing my paw. "So what?" He crossed his arms defensively. "Well, I'm no expert or anything, but ghosts… particularly Gengar, are usually cold." I explained. "Well, Weavile usually live in packs." He retorted. "You have a point." I sighed, picking up my dressing supplies once more. "Still, please let me know if you aren't feeling well. As long as you're in my care, I'm determined to make sure that your stay is comfortable." I informed him, approaching him in an attempt to examine his wounds.

"Yeah, well I'm not feeling okay about you touching my wounds." He asserted, shrinking away from me even further. "Look, I know you don't know me very well, but I need you to trust me. I trust you, and I've trusted you since I first met you. That first night told me a lot, you didn't eat my dreams." I explained shyly, and then continued when he still looked skeptical. "My family taught me about first aid, before they…yeah. And I can tell you for sure that if I don't do this, it's going to hurt more and heal slowly." I explained with concern. "Fine… But, tell me about your family. What happened to them?" He asked, finally compliant as he lay back down on the bed. "It's none of your business." I told him, making a face and kneeling at his bedside. He glared. "I'm only kidding, if you'd really like to know I'll tell you. It's not a very happy story, nor is it exciting however." I warned, crushing herbs to apply to his bandages. "It'll pass the time." He responded reluctantly, finally relaxing and allowing me access to his wounds.

I began the process of changing Gengar's wound dressings as I started to explain. "Well, my family consisted of my parents, both Weavile, and my younger brother, a Sneasel. My mother was a well-known mercenary that primarily did outlaw hunts, like I do. Unfortunately in this line of work, you make a lot of enemies with the wrong Pokemon. That's exactly what happened to us. My mother took on a capture mission by an unknown sender, and brought the family along with her as she was training my brother and me in the tricks of mercenary work. Unfortunately, she didn't know it was a trap until it was too late. They killed them all… I saw my parents and brother gutted before my eyes." My eyes filled with tears at the memories, but I continued my work on Gengar's dressings.

" Your wounds are healing well, they should close soon. The herbs I used are helping significantly." I told him and he simply groaned in pain. "How did you get away?" He finally asked. "I climbed." I told him simply, starting on the final dressing. "The Pokemon there were grounded and slow, so I jumped at the nearest tree and climbed it as high as it'd go, then I leapt treetop to treetop like a Pachirisu." I explained, applying herbs to the bandages and tying them down. "Smooth." He cracked a grin at the thought. "I didn't know how far I'd travelled, but I continued to run until I couldn't run anymore. That's when I found this cave. It was empty, didn't have any doors or anything but I decided I'd make it my own. As soon as I convinced myself it was safe, I went to Halfway Town where Blissey found me." I explained; the memory still just as fresh in my mind as the day it happened. "But, I was an independent little Sneasel and despite Blissey's kind offer, I ended up raising myself. With time, I even got back into mercenary work in my mother's footsteps. At first nobody would take me seriously because I was so young, but they learned that I wasn't the Pokemon to be underestimated." I finished my story, just as I finished his bandages.

"They're done, that wasn't so bad was it?" I asked, stepping back to admire my work. "It was agonizing." He told me, grimacing as he examined his wounds. "So, are you going to tell me your story now?" I asked hopefully. "Not a chance." He muttered. "Well, I tried." I shrugged and walked to the convenient window in the cave wall. It was starting to get dark out; changing Gengar's dressings was a big job. "Well, it's getting late. I'm going to sleep." I announced, lying on the ground where I'd slept the night prior. "You're sleeping on the ground?" Gengar asked, confused. "You're in my bed…" I admitted, averting my gaze shyly at the idea. "Oh… wait, what?! What are you looking at me like that for?! I meant maybe you could get a blanket or have another bed or something! Or I could sleep on the floor!" He admitted, embarrassed at what he'd unintentionally implied. "No it's okay… I'm used to sleeping on the floor, you're the injured one. Just rest, Gengar." I insisted, yawning and stretching in an attempt to disperse the awkward atmosphere. "Ugh. I guess." Gengar sighed, and settled down to sleep as well.

I found it hard to sleep. The story that Weavile told me had stuck with me, and sadly I could identify with it to a point. My own parents had been killed simply because they were Gengar, and nuisanced the local Pokemon by eating their dreams. Of course, eating dreams can be fatal of done enough because the Pokemon become weaker and weaker before succumbing. That also left me on my own to fend for myself, much like Weavile had to. The treatment I received as a child was unacceptable, and it was all because I was going to grow up into a Gengar one day. Though the hurdles in mine and Weavile's lives were different, the impact it had on us was similar.

Yet, she was working herself hard to help me when I really didn't deserve it. I felt terrible, because one day she might be the one hunting me; and that's on top of the shadows of the past that already followed me. Weavile was too kind and giving; and she didn't judge me for being a Gengar like so many other Pokemon in my life had. I had too many memories of being chased out of towns and hunted for something I couldn't change. I supposed it was my ancestors I had to blame, but regardless I didn't deserve the treatment I was being given by life.

Sadly, my time with Weavile would come to an end as soon as I was able to leave, I decided. I didn't want to inconvenience Weavile with my own past, and she definitely didn't deserve to get wrapped up in all of it. There was a lot of danger that we might come across if I stayed. Sooner or later the truth was going to come out; and I'd rather not be around when it did. All of the thinking I'd been doing had begun to tire me out, and without realizing it, I'd fallen asleep.

Gengar was still sound asleep when I greeted the morning. I smiled at his sleeping form as I prepared to head out for the day, packing some berries and the Flash Orb I'd been given by Kecleon. I also was sure to leave a note for Gengar should he wake up and wonder where I was. The hunt had to continue, so I left with the sun just beginning to rise over the horizon and headed out to Shady Forest. To find Mightyena, and complete the mission I'd taken.

The last time I'd found Mightyena I'd followed his footsteps in the forest floor. But this time wouldn't be so easy, because I didn't know where he was headed. I started by travelling back to the edge of the forest where I'd seen him last, and where Gengar had fallen out of the sky. Unfortunately, there were no footprints. But, something that was just as helpful to me was present: there was the strong rusty smell of blood left from the wounds I'd doled upon Mightyena. Carefully, I followed the scent toward the plains, cautious when the scents of other Pokemon were mixed in. The last thing I needed was to be ganged up on as I tracked down the malicious outlaw.

It'd been a couple days since I last hunted Mightyena, so the path was quite long with no recent sign of him having travelled it. I was confused, because with how grievously I'd injured him, he shouldn't have made it this far. That was when the scent of blood suddenly cut out, and it was as if he'd disappeared suddenly where I'd stopped. Crouching down, I examined the dirt at the location, and it was completely untouched. It was as if he'd suddenly grown wings and flown away. Or, maybe he'd met up with a Pokemon capable of teleportation. Regardless of the method, he vanished from the spot and there was no trail to lead me or clues as to where he may have gone.

Somehow, I was leaning toward that he'd encountered one of his teammates partway and been whisked off to safety. "Damn, now what am I going to do…" I sighed, as the afternoon had slipped away faster than I could've prepared for. Leaning against a rock, I took out the food I'd packed for the day and began to munch on the assorted berries. 'I wonder what Gengar is up to…' I contemplated the idea, shuddering at the memory of him reading my diary the last time I'd left.

When I woke up, I noticed that Weavile had left me a note saying that she was going out to do some mercenary work and that she wouldn't be back until the evening. That got me thinking: 'What should I do today?' A few options came to mind. First, I could stay inside all day and go crazy with boredom. Second, I could plot my escape from Weavile. Or third, I could be a decent Pokemon and help her out somehow. Option two was very appealing, but at the same time Weavile had been so kind to me without having a clue about who I was or what I'd done, other than the fact that I was a weird Gengar. And I had to admit that without her around, even though it hadn't been very long, it was quite lonely. After a moment's consideration I decided that I'd go with option three.

Carefully I opened the door, which revealed a large room with a counter and a bulletin board. Curiously I examined the bulletin board in question, which seemed to be a collection of the jobs that the Pokémon of Halfway Town requested of Weavile and the rewards listed for each. Concerned, I took a look of each request; fortunately, nobody had posted the job I expected to be coming through any time. Changing my focus, I considered other pressing matters: 'What am I going to get for Weavile?' Thinking about what I'd seen of her already, she seemed to be very fond of berries. Maybe I could go pick some to give to her so she wouldn't have to buy any from Halfway Town. Nodding to myself, I took a stop by her storage room and selected a bowl before heading to the cave entrance.

When I stepped outside, the sun burned my eyes; it was hard to adjust from living in a cave for the past few days. Shading my eyes with a hand, I walked out into the forest set on finding some berry bushes and berry trees. Frankly, I had no idea where I was going. However, I was on a mission and nothing was going to stop me! With a wicked grin, I ran aimlessly into the forest with hopes of finding the berries wherever they hid.

It took me a few hours, but I'd finally found a clearing filled with berry bushes. Numerous Pokemon sat around the berry bushes, in conversation or simply enjoying nature's bounty. But, my mood was darkened because as soon as I appeared, they all scattered into the nearby foliage. I hadn't even done anything, only exist. Frowning, I began to pick the berries and put them in a bowl I'd brought with me from the cave. When it was full I turned, ready to head back. That was, if I knew where I was going. Unfortunately while my strategy of running aimlessly in the forest had yielded berries, I had no clue how to get back to Weavile's cave. Again, I had a few options with what I could do. I decided to wander aimlessly some more until I found the cave again, Weavile did say after all that she'd come after me if I left. There was no downside, except it might take me a bit longer to get back. Though, I did have berries so there was no danger in taking my time.

Looking around, I realized the cliff face was visible over the tree line and my aimless wandering became aimed. I was very aware that the sun was beginning to set and Weavile would probably notice me gone if I wasn't quick. So, as quick as I could manage, I tucked the bowl under my arm and dashed towards the cave. More than anything, I didn't want to disappoint Weavile or be missing when she arrived home. After all, it would subtract from the surprise if she was upset with me because I was missing.

Carefully I walked back into Weavile's room, sitting on the bed and putting the berries to the side. 'It shouldn't be long…' I told to myself, waiting eagerly to give her the berries. Taking a moment to think, considered what I should do when she arrived, or what approach I should take for the best result. That only made me nervous, because it was no secret that I was socially awkward and I might make her upset or say something wrong.

I let out a sigh as I walked into the cave; I was unsuccessful yet again at tracking down Mightyena. 'Hopefully Gengar hasn't left while I was gone.' I thought to myself, placing my supplies back in storage before walking into my room. To my surprise, Gengar was still there. "How was your day?" I asked, leaning against the wall, exhausted. "Boring. There's nothing to do around here." He complained, crossing his arms. I smirked, that was starting to become his trademark look. "You look exhausted." He commented, though for some reason he seemed nervous.

"Yeah, I was very busy today. I was trying to hunt down the outlaw that escaped me last time, and I wasn't able to find him. So I spent the day trying to follow his trail to give myself a better idea of where he went. But the trail cut off; it was as if he vanished, flew away, or teleported. But I hadn't known Mightyena to have any team members, not that I knew much about him to begin with." I explained, slumping to the ground. "To be honest, I've never had a mark escape me yet. This is the first time." I told him with no shortage of self-disappointment. A solo mercenary's reputation was one of their most prized possessions; a potential client was more likely to choose you if you were known for getting jobs done quickly and effectively.

"Well… I have something that might cheer you up." Gengar admitted finally, standing up to reveal a large bowl of berries he'd been keeping behind his back. "You… you got these?" I asked, overjoyed that Gengar would collect berries for me. "Yeah… but don't get me wrong! I just got them in case you didn't show back up, so I didn't starve!" He explained defensively. "I see. Well, thank you!" I exclaimed, beaming my happiness at him. He rolled his eyes at my enthusiasm before picking up the bowl of berries and handing them to me. "Anyway I'm tired, I'm going to bed!" He exclaimed before curling up on my bed.

I took a look at the berries in my paws and suddenly an idea came to me. Bowl in hand; I headed into my storage room. My storage room was a large room filled with my various belongings, food and item store, and a pool of water which naturally flowed in from the river. I dipped the berry bowl into the pool, filling it with enough water to cover the berries. Next, I went to my food store and picked up a container of sugar. I cupped a paw full of sugar and sprinkled it over the berries before covering them with a large square of cloth. Satisfied with my work, I brought the bowl back into my room and put it on my desk before curling up asleep against the wall.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning came quickly, and I was excited for it. I hopped up and took a skidding stop in front of Gengar's bed. "Gengar!" I exclaimed, shaking him. "Ugh… what do you want?" He growled, curling up to protect himself from my shaking. "I have a treat, you'll want to get up for this, I promise." I explained before retrieving the bowl I'd placed on the table the night prior. Carefully I removed the cloth, and a sweet aroma wafted out from the sweetened berries. Grudgingly, Gengar sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Here, try one!" I offered the bowl to him. "Huh." He seemed confused, but took a berry and popped it in his mouth. "It's… good!" He exclaimed, surprised. "They're sweetened; I prepared them last night from the berries you got me." I explained, before digging in myself. "Help yourself; you did gather them after all." I told him and together we ate in silence.

When we were stuffed, finally I stood up. "I have to go try and track down Mightyena again… I hopefully won't be so long today. When I get home I can probably take off your bandages, as you should be healed up enough that you don't need them. It won't hurt, I promise." I assured him, and stepped back slowly towards the door. "You'd better not be; it's boring here." He explained, lying back down against the bed. "I won't, promise!" I exclaimed and then headed out of the cave. Quickly I took a glance at the notice board, there was a new posting but I didn't have time to look at it. I decided to check it later after I came back from my hunt.

As soon as I left the cave, I heard a howl. This howl… it was a howl of challenge. It must've been Mightyena, so I ran in the direction of the sound. To my surprise, he wasn't too far from the cave and he stood atop a rock on an embankment. "Hunter. You've come to meet my challenge." He bared his fangs in hostility. "I don't know how you've lasted this long, Mightyena, but you won't make it much further as long as I still stand." I extended my claws, crouching into a fighting stance. "Call me Red Stripe." He snarled before lunging towards me.

To my surprise, he wasn't much weaker than when I fought him last time, though two bloody scars ran down his back suggested that he might be. It was an obvious weakness I planned to take advantage of. He was an equal match to me in speed, and he beat me in strength. But what he lacked was strategy; together we circled until finally he lunged for an attack. In that moment, I saw an opening and propelled myself off the ground, over his back with my claws at the ready. "Not this time, hunter." His barking laugh sounded and I felt myself go limp. It was paralysis, I noted, as I fell uselessly to the ground. "This is the one you were talking about?" A feminine voice spoke behind me. I also noticed from the shadows, another Pokemon stepped out. The Pokemon was a Drapion, a gigantic purple scorpion. "Yes, lady Gardevoir. She's the one that took the Gengar. Can I kill her yet?" Red Stripe growled. "Yeah, yeah! Let's kill her." The Drapion hissed, clearly he was the partner of Red Stripe. "Not yet, you can have her when I get the information I need." I heard 'Gardevoir' say, before she moved to stand in front of me. "You found Gengar, where did you take him?" She asked me, and there was a prompting silence.

"What do you want with Gengar?" I bared my canines, struggling against the paralysis. The Pokemon in question, Gardevoir, was a humanoid looking psychic Pokemon who are known for being extraordinarily loyal and protective of their friends. Her short green hair curled around her neck, and her white dress gently shifted in the slight breeze. At my response, she grinned; it was now obvious that I'd found Gengar and taken him into my care. "That doesn't matter. You can tell me the easy way, or I give you up to your friend here. Take your pick." She explained, and pointed at what I assumed was Red Stripe. "I'll never tell." I spat. Despite having only known Gengar for days, I'd protect him with my life. I wouldn't allow anybody in my care to be threatened. Carefully I began to reach my paw towards my pouch where I kept my Flash Orb. "Nuh-uh." She tutted and stepped on my wrist. I grimaced against the pain, letting out a curse. "I have places to be, this is your last chance to tell me what I need." She insisted, putting more of her weight on my wrist. I could feel the bones creak in protest. "No! Never!" I insisted; putting on a brave face because I knew this may be my last. "Fine, I'll find him with or without your help, your stubbornness only slows the process slightly. She's yours; I have important business to attend to." The Gardevoir said simply, snapping and vanishing. Unfortunately, I was still paralyzed.

"Prepare to die, hunter. Nobody hurts Red Stripe and gets away with it!" Red Stripe cackled before I felt his teeth close around my leg. I grimaced in agony as his teeth sunk into my femur, snapping it in two. Simultaneously, I felt the sting of Drapion pierce my back and the poison burning through my veins. The combination of the fresh break and the burning poison was too much, and I let out a shriek that would put a Misdreavus' to shame. The last thing I heard was Red Stripe cackling with glee at my agony before my world turned black.

I was minding my own business, munching on sweet berries and minding my own business when suddenly I heard a scream. And, not just any scream, it sounded like Weavile's! Quickly I hopped to my feet and ran outside towards the scream. When I arrived at the source of the scream, I was horrified. Weavile lay limp on the ground, she was helpless as the outlaw Mightyena tore into her limp body, his eyes filled with a mindless rage. At the same time, the Drapion reared back, preparing to sting her. 'No!' I shouted in my head, and without knowing what I was doing I summoned as much ghostly power as I could, and ran straight into the fray. I threw a blob of shadow, causing the outlaws to leap back in alarm, and giving me an opening to scoop Weavile into my arms and run. "Hey! Get back here!" I heard the Mightyena growl behind me.

"Gen…gar?" She gasped; slowly opening her eyes. For some reason, she was still limp… perhaps she was paralyzed? Though I wasn't sure how a Drapion or Mightyena could've pulled off paralysis. "That's my name, don't wear it out." I huffed, pushing myself to run as fast as I could. Unfortunately, even despite my best effort the outlaws were in close pursuit. "They'll…get..you..too. Drop…me. Run." She pleaded, concerned for my well-being even as her lifeblood dripped onto the ground behind her. "Stupid. I can't do that." I hissed. "Why..not?" She asked, seemingly confused. "Because I like you, okay?!" I shouted at her, unable to hide the creeping warmth to my cheeks. "I'm…glad." She smiled, a peaceful look spreading over her face. "Stop it! You can't die!" I insisted, shaking her slightly. She winced; clearly I'd displaced her broken leg. Oops. "I..I'll try not..to." She struggled before pointing with a paw. "That…way." She explained, and then moved her paw, with much effort, to her side. "Close…your..eyes." She ordered me, before dropping something. As soon as it touched the ground, the area lit up in an illuminating flash. "Geh!" I shouted, following her directions a moment too late. Blinded, I ran aimlessly in the direction she prompted.

When my eyes finally stopped burning, I noticed Weavile had become unconscious once again. Her breathing was shallow, and it was clear that if I didn't find help and soon she wouldn't make it. But Halfway Town, which I'd assumed she'd pointed me to, was nowhere in sight. Panicking, I pushed myself as hard as I could, and ignored the pain building in my legs. All I could do was trust that Weavile had sent me in the right direction, her life depended on it after all.

Fortunately, the town wasn't much further, and I ran straight into the middle of it, oblivious to the danger I was putting myself in by revealing myself in town. "Someone help! She's hurt!" I shouted to anybody who would listen, but there were gasps of horror and Pokemon closed their doors and hid inside as soon as they saw me. Not even in this situation would they ignore the fact that I was a Gengar, of course. That was when a rather angry Dragonite flew up to me, fire in his eyes. "Drop her, right now." He growled, raising a clawed fist. "Just show me to a Chansey or Blissey! I'm not leaving her!" I shouted back, more than ready to fight back if I had to. "What, so you can hurt her more? I know your kind, Gengar. We'll have none of that here; especially not from an outlaw like you." He explained, every word dripping with hatred. My eyes widened in shock at his words. "Look, I don't care what happens to me. Just help her, please. Consider what's important here." I begged, desperate. Every second we spent her arguing worsened her chances of surviving her wounds. But before I could react, a well-aimed punch from Dragonite sent me flying as he took Weavile from my arms. "Ugh…" I groaned, and as soon as I recovered I followed after the retreating form of Dragonite. From that point on, I knew we were destined not to get along.

…When I finally came to, I was surprised to be alive. Everything hurt and I couldn't help but let out a squeak as I fully became aware of it, my eyes filling with tears. I tensed against the pain, curling up tighter and causing more pain to myself. "You're hurting yourself. Your leg is broken, stop moving." A familiar voice remarked, and I could almost hear the rolling of his eyes. "…Gengar?" I asked, shifting to my other side. Sure enough, Gengar was sitting on a stool right beside my bed. But…where was I? I looked around, seeing that I was inside of a hut. This must've been Blissey's house, I decided. There was nobody else who could've saved me from my wounds and Drapion's poison. "I'm alive." I told nobody in particular, examining my paws as if they were a new thing. "What part of 'don't move' don't you understand?" He sighed; it seemed that he was exhausted. "All of it. Are you okay?" I asked, changing the subject. "Stop it. You're hurt; you can't be worried about everybody else when you're on death's door." He explained, the look he was giving me betraying concealed concern.

When the door opened, Gengar resumed his cross-armed look of disdain. "Oh, she's awake is she?" A cheerful female voice announced, and a familiar pink Pokemon stepped through. "Weavile… I've always told you! Mercenary work is no work for a lady; you'll only get yourself hurt." Blissey remarked, tutting like a mother hen. "Yeah, yeah. I'm totally a lady." I rolled my eyes and Blissey walked to my bedside. "Gengar, I'm going to have to ask you to step outside. We need to have a chat." She shooed him jokingly, and he seemed hesitant. "Does he have to leave?" I asked, confused. "Yes, yes! It won't be long. Out with you!" She smiled, continuing her shooing motion. "Better not be." Gengar stalked off, stepping outside of the door of Blissey's house.

"You've certainly found yourself a sweet guy, Weavile. He sat by your bedside the entire time you were out, refusing to move. Dragonite even tried to deck him in the hut! Well, he already decked him outside… But still he wouldn't leave you! And, he was constantly asking me if you were getting better." She giggled like a schoolgirl. I shot her an incredulous glance. "It's not like that! I just found him in Shady Forest and treated his wounds. I guess he thinks he owes me or something." I explained bashfully. "Well, you certainly did a good job on his wounds. I took the dressings off and looked at them; he's healed through enough that he doesn't need them anymore. I also noticed something unusual; did you notice he was warm?" She asked me. I nodded. "That's strange, well he really must be something special! Regardless, I have some bad news for you." Blissey admitted, taking Gengar's stool.

"Your leg is broken, completely shattered through. If things continue the way they are, you probably won't be able to walk again." She explained and the news hit me like a stack of bricks. I felt like I couldn't breathe, and vertigo took over at the same time. "Breathe, girl! I've called in a favor from a friend named Audino. She specializes in healing wounds like this. With her help, you should be back in the business in no time. Though, it's going to take her some time to travel to Halfway." She admitted, and then pointed to a large bandage across my abdomen. "Those aren't too serious, but the real problem is in the one to your back. You got stung by a Drapion, so I hear. I've given you anti-venom but the remaining poison is still in your system, so you might be weak for a while. It's a good thing you have your friends in town, because you won't be getting anywhere on your own. I'm going to encourage you to get out of bed when you can, but be responsible! No horsing around, and be a lady. You're still young! Enjoy yourself responsibly." She stressed, tapping me on the nose with a rolled piece of paper. I blinked in confusion.

"Anywho, I'm going to go get your friend and head to Kecleon Mart for some supplies. Be good!" She remarked cheerfully, hopping out of the building almost as fast as she entered. Once again, I blinked in confusion. Carefully, I moved my now casted leg and curled up on the bed facing the stool once again. Every move was agonizing, I noticed. True to Blissey's word, Gengar came walking back in once again. But from his stance, somehow I knew he was about to say something serious. "Weavile. I have to go." He admitted, plopping back down on the stool and eyeing me sternly. It was bittersweet, as that was the first time he'd ever called me by name. "But why?" I asked, more than just disappointed. "Because… Because I do! Okay? Don't make this difficult." He sighed, standing up and beginning to step away. Immediately I reached out, grabbing onto his hand. "Stay." I told him simply, pulling him with what strength I did have. "Look, everybody hates me here; your friend Dragonite wants to kill me, and...And I can't tell you the rest. But there's more than enough reason for me to go." He explained, and attempted to free his hand from my grip unsuccessfully.

"I don't hate you, Dragonite won't kill you, and I really wish you'd tell me this secret you keep hiding." I addressed his concerns one by one. "Even if I did stay, I don't think you're ready to hear it. Although maybe it's better I tell you while you can't deck me for it." He joked cracking a half smile before his face became serious once more. "I can still scratch." I joked back, extending my claws slightly before retracting them once again. "But seriously, I promise I'm not going to hurt you. Surely you know that much by now." I frowned; disappointed that he still doubted me. "I…I can't tell you. Not yet. But, I guess I can stay for now; after all I do owe you my life still." He rolled his eyes, giving in and sitting back on the stool beside my bed. "One day I'm going to find out, you know. But I'm happy you're going to stay." I yawned, still keeping my grip on his hand. "Don't get used to it." He reminded me with an exasperated sigh, but somehow I knew he wasn't serious. And, all the news had been exhausted to me, so I fell asleep still holding his hand.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, my first visitor happened to be Dragonite. With a polite knock on the door, he let himself in. "Oh, hello Dragonite! Nice to see you!" Blissey beamed, and I shyly raised a hand to wave. Genger, on the other hand, glared at Dragonite over his breakfast: a bowl full of assorted berries. "Blissey, Weavile." He greeted us with a bow. "I'm sorry to ask this, but could I speak to Weavile in private? It's about mercenary work and you know how we keep the details under wraps on ongoing projects." He explained, mostly to Blissey. "Of course! Of course! We'll be nearby." Blissey nearly tripped over herself before grabbing Gengar by the arm and attempting to drag him out. "Hey! I never agreed to this! Let go!" Gengar complained, fighting her grip. I groaned, somehow I knew this wasn't going to end well. Then suddenly, when I saw the desperate glance Gengar shot me I finally understood why he was fighting so hard. Dragonite was going to tell me something about Gengar that he didn't want me to know. "It won't be long." I assured him, giving him a fake smile. He almost looked betrayed as he was dragged out the door by Blissey.

"Weavile, I'm so glad to see you're okay. I met your...acquaintance in town the day that you were attacked. It's a blessing you're alive." Dragonite admitted, he seemed relieved at my condition. "Well, I'm all in one piece; except for my leg. That's going to keep me out of work for a while, at least until Blissey's friend comes by to fix it for me." I explained, pointing at the large cast that surrounded my broken leg. "Yes... I heard about that. I was going to ask you what exactly happened that day to get you beat up that badly. You're one of the best mercenaries I know, I don't understand how you could get that hurt." Dragonite prompted me and I let out a sigh of relief. Maybe Dragonite was just worried about me.

"It all started when I took Kecleon's job to hunt down Mightyena. After I lost him that one time, he managed to escape back to his...friend? It was a Drapion, that's all I know. Somewhere in between they met a Gardevoir who wanted information from me. I guess they came to some sort of a deal and plotted to bring me out of the forest. I heard a howl; it was Mightyena's so I ran toward it. When I got there, it was just him and he attacked me so we were fighting. As soon as I was about to take him down, the Gardevoir appeared out of nowhere and paralyzed me, preventing me from dealing the final blow. That was when she started questioning me and I didn't answer her. In the middle of that, the Drapion also came out of the woods. I was outnumbered and outmatched before the fight even began and I had no idea. If she'd just asked me nicely to begin with I might've answered some of her questions but taking the approach of making deals with outlaws set off alarm bells. So, of course I didn't say anything. When she realized no matter what she said I wouldn't answer, she teleported away and left me paralyzed, telling the outlaws they could have me." I told my story, shrugging nonchalantly as if it were an everyday thing. In fact, it probably was as one of the risks I took as a mercenary was making enemies.

"Your story isn't finished though, what happened after that?" Dragonite asked me, pacing at my bedside as he absorbed the details I was giving him. "Well, the Drapion stung me and the Mightyena bit straight through my leg. I swear I could feel the bone shatter in his jaws. Reflexively, I screamed. Gengar, who had been staying with me for about a week before hand, heard it because I wasn't too far from home. He saved me. I don't have all of the details because I wasn't exactly lucid with poison running through my blood and absolute agony from the wounds the pair had inflicted on me. All I know is Gengar saved me." I concluded; the memory of the run from Red Stripe and Drapion still fresh in my mind and I turned my head to hide the dreamy look on my face.

"And how exactly did you come to meet this Gengar? Surely you're aware of the nature of Gengar, they eat dreams. Their kind isn't known for being very trustworthy or good in any sense. There's a reason the majority of them are outlaws." Dragonite warned me, trying to sound as dire as possible. 'Here it comes.' I thought to myself, my paws curling into fists at his words. "This Gengar isn't like the others. He has a good heart." I defended him, so many examples to back up my argument coming to mind. But, I didn't have to defend him to Dragonite, so I decided against it; Dragonite had no place to judge a Pokemon he wasn't willing to get to know. "I found him when I was chasing Mightyena the first time. He fell from the sky, and I'm not joking about that. There was an impact crater and all, he was badly hurt. So I abandoned the hunt and brought him back to my cave, treated his wounds. Sure, he's a Gengar; I know the stories, but I don't pass judgment on an injured Pokemon before I know their full story. I won't just leave someone to die in the forest because of what they were born with." I argued, admitting what I'd been up to that Dragonite hadn't been in on.

"You're right about that. Up until the point where you won't pass judgment until you know the full story. Has he told you how he came to fall out of the sky? Why he was hurt? Have you asked about it yet? It'd be hard to believe that you hadn't, because I know any Pokemon who saw someone fall out of the sky would be curious. Did he answer you when you asked him?" Dragonite asked, dismantling my argument entirely. He was right; Gengar wouldn't tell me what exactly happened to him. But he did say he was going to, at the minimum. I was curious, but somehow I wanted to know less and less the more his past was built up as something negative even though some day I'd have to find out.

By this point, I had a good idea of what he hadn't told me and why Dragonite was so defensive. But I still chose to believe in Gengar. Even if I was told the worst about Gengar, there was something different about him and it wasn't just that he had traits unlike other Gengar. It was that as a Pokemon, he had a good heart. It was obvious even when he tried to hide it, and inherently he wasn't bad no matter how hard he tried to look like it.

"I'm not ready to tell you what I know about this Gengar, but I wanted to tell you to be careful; to warn you. That Gengar isn't what he appears to be and I know you might feel differently about this, but with how hurt and unwell you are I don't feel that you're ready to hear the details about Gengar. I'm going to give him the chance to tell you first, you can prove to me that he's as good hearted as you say by having him tell you about his past and how he came to fall out of the sky in Shady Forest. I could put a lot of Poke down on the fact that he won't tell you, and it'll be me letting you know the truth when you recover." He told me sternly, seriousness written on his face. "You know I'm only telling you this because I care about you, right? I couldn't stand to sit by and watch you get hurt. I don't mean to hurt your feelings or to worry you; I just want you to be happy." He told me with a face full of concern, taking my paw and kneeling like a gentleman.

I sighed, giving into his gentleman act. "Alright Sir Dragonite, I'll take your words into consideration." I rolled my eyes before cracking a smile. "Just be careful, okay? I'll be back to check on you. Maybe if I feel like it I'll bring you a snow cone from the Jynx stall." He smiled, attempting to look like he was mulling over the idea. "You'd better!" I growled; he knew I loved snow cones. Especially the Sitrus flavoured snow cones. "Anyway I'm going to go check on the guild; you'd better not go anywhere in the meantime!" He joked, giving my leg a meaningful glance before heading to the door. "Like I could go anywhere, see you later Dragonite!" I exclaimed, saying my goodbyes. Maybe I could finally get some peace and quiet…

As soon as Blissey had me outside, she left to go buy food for lunch. I knew it wasn't her intent, but it left me entirely able to listen in to Weavile and Dragonite's conversation. Somehow I knew what I was going to hear, but I was still shaken up about it. Dragonite was right; I hadn't been honest with Weavile. Even worse still, I was still struggling with whether or not I should tell her about what exactly had happened. I was at a crossroad where I had to decide to leave for good or to come clean with as many details as I could stand to give Weavile and hope she'd believe me; hope that she wouldn't judge me like the other Pokemon had my whole life. It was a lot to ask, and she really wasn't in the condition to handle it.

Honestly, if I was going to leave now would be the best time. She couldn't hunt me down, I remembered sadly. It was breaking me up inside; I felt like a terrible Pokemon. Who was I fooling? I am a terrible Pokemon, though all this time spent with Weavile was changing me, or maybe bringing out the self I tried to forget back then.

Dragonite made me mad, but I really couldn't deny it; he was Weavile's best friend and rightfully so. He read me like a book, and he knew there was something wrong even though she chose to deny it. She was probably better off with him, and I probably should've moved on. But at the same time: Dragonite made me mad. Weavile was a grown Pokemon and could decide for herself, she didn't need another Pokemon telling her right and wrong or what she should do. From what I did know of her, she was a Pokemon who decided good and bad herself. Plus, he was biased towards me yet again because I was a Gengar. Though no matter how much I might try to deny it, Weavile was the best thing that ever happened to me. Maybe… it was really time for me to change, and stop being the coward I once was as difficult as it is.

Unfortunately, my hopes for peace and quiet were destined to die before they even began. It was very obvious that Gengar and Dragonite hated each other and were unwilling to interact more than necessary. That left me stuck in the middle, and I wasn't really well enough to be playing mediator. At the same time, Gengar was also becoming more withdrawn and it had me worried. I meant to find time to talk to him privately but between Blissey, them, and the sedatives Blissey had me on I didn't really have a lot of time to do anything.

I decided it was time to find out what was bothering Gengar. "Gengar? Could you come over here?" I pointed to my bedside, leaning on my arm to raise myself up from a lying position. "...I guess." He got up from where he'd been sitting and walked to where I'd gestured. Before he could react, I leapt out of bed and put an arm over his shoulders for stabilization. "Hey! What are you doing? You're going to mess up your leg!" He shouted in alarm, quickly putting arms around me to make sure I didn't fall. 'He's pretty soft... and warm...' I thought to myself, averting my gaze to hide the blush on my face at my realization.

"We're going to go into town! I decided I needed some fresh air." I explained cheerfully, changing the subject and hopping with my good leg toward the door, and Gengar grudgingly followed. "I don't want to. The townspeople-" He tried to explain but I cut him off. "The townspeople will see an upstanding Gengar helping out an injured Weavile, anyway they like me. They'll like you too!" I exclaimed. "You're going to hurt yourself." He told me, rolling his eyes at my feeble attempt to move. "I need fresh air! Blissey told me I could get someone to help me outside. Please?" I begged, turning a wide eyed gaze on him. "No!" He exclaimed, frowning. "Well, fine. You don't have to; I'll ask Dragonite instead..." I sighed an exaggerated sigh, dramatically beginning my hop back to bed. "Wait! I'll do it, stop moping." Gengar gave in, pulling me back toward him and helping me toward the door of Blissey's hut. Grinning, I flipped the score in my head: Weavile, one; Gengar, zero.

As we neared the market, the townspeople looked at us with surprise. Unfortunately, surprise led to fear and they were extraordinarily wary of Gengar. Yet, fear led to realization when they noticed him helping me. They settled overall for being wary. "So... what exactly are we doing here?" Gengar asked, stopping in the middle of the market to look around. "We're going to get something nice. I have some Poke leftover and I figured we could get something to eat or buy something cool from the merchants. Or do both!" I exclaimed, the idea of finally being able to go shopping a dream come true. "But I don't-" I covered his mouth with a paw. "Yes, you do. Trust me." I smiled, pointing out where we should go.

The place we were headed finally came into view, a large pink polka-dotted stall. A cheerful banner over the top read: Swirlix and Spritzee's Sweets. "...Candy?" Gengar finally asked, his eyes widening in awe. "Of course! These two are the best." I affirmed, leading the both of us to the Pokemon in question at the stall. "Weavile! Hey, Weavile! Spritzee, come see Weavile! She's here!" The Swirlix began to bounce up and down in excitement. Swirlix was like a cloud with a face and feet. "Oh, Weavile! Good to see you! You brought us a friend!" Spritzee exclaimed; no less excited than her brother Swirlix. The pair were brother and sister, their parents worked in a large business which meant that they travelled extensively selling their wares. That left Swirlix and Spritzee to manage the meagre shop that their parents left behind; they were young but successful merchants.

Gengar, entranced by the sweets in front of him, laid his free hand on the display case, his face filled with awe. "It's great to see you two! How has business been? Oh, and his name is Gengar. He's very nice when you get to know him!" I exclaimed, patting Gengar on the back who was completely oblivious. "Very good! Everybody loves our sweets! We're getting better, I hear! The chocolate fudge is the town favourite~" Swirlix explained, moving to the display case and removing a plate full of fudge. "Chocolate fudge..." Gengar whispered in awe. "How much is the fudge?" I asked, giggling at Gengar's face.

"20 Poke a piece normally, but you can have this plate as a get well soon present! We were very sad to hear that you got hurt, when you get better will you play with us?" Spritzee told me, giving me a wide eyed look, placing my fudge into a paper bag and handing it to me. "Thanks so much for the fudge! I'll be sure to stop by when I have time. I'm a very busy mercenary, after all!" I explained, thanking them and sneaking 200 Poke into the tip jar when they weren't looking. I didn't want them to get in trouble and their parents were shrewd businesspeople; they checked every transaction that took place.

"Let's go, I have a place in mind where we can eat." I told Gengar, pointing where he should go. "It'd better not be far… I'm starving!" Gengar exclaimed, eager to dig into the chocolate fudge. "It's not, actually its right over there." I gestured toward the large lake near to Halfway Town. A few Swanna and Ducklett drifted along its surface, swimming through the rays of sunlight as they bounced off of its clear blue surface. A few reeds drifted in the faint current that existed in the lake. To say it was a peaceful place was an understatement, and not one Pokemon even glanced at Gengar as we walked along the shoreline.

Gengar helped me up to sit on a bench along the path on the shoreline, taking a seat beside me. "Can we eat the fudge now?" He asked expectantly. "Of course!" I exclaimed, handing him a few pieces. "Watch out, it'll melt in your hands if you hold them too long." I warned him, popping a piece of fudge into my own mouth. I let out a contented sigh as it melted, the rich chocolaty flavor dancing on my taste buds. "Can I hav sum mor?" Gengar asked me through a mouthful of fudge. I laughed at him, handing him a few more pieces. "Wot's yur problem?" He asked me, confused. "Oh, nothing." I told him and we continued to munch on the fudge until it was all gone.

We stayed on the shoreline in silence until the sun began to dip beneath the tree line, its last rays lighting the lake…until Gengar broke that silence. "I… I need to talk to you about something." He finally admitted with a serious expression on his face. "Of course, what is it?" I asked, feigning ignorance. 'He's going to tell me it… I hope it's not what I think it is, but I'm finally going to know…'

I took a deep breath, considering how I was going to explain. "Well… first you're going to have to promise me to listen to the whole story." I told her, looking out toward the lake. "I promise." She told me, and I could feel her determined gaze on me. "…I'm an outlaw." I dropped the bomb; taking a folded piece of paper I'd been carrying with me ever since Dragonite threatened me with it and handed it to her. I heard her gasp, and kept my gaze fixed on the lake. "I've never eaten any dreams…" I sighed, leaning back against the back of the bench. "But I'm wanted for inciting a riot, and the death of one Pokemon." I explained, remembering the day with dread. "For my whole life, I was treated like garbage because I was a Gengar. My parents were killed, because they ate dreams of the Pokemon who lived in the nearby town. That left me alone and I swore I'd never eat a dream so that Pokemon would like me. Of course, I was only a Gastly when I decided that. I didn't really know that it wouldn't change anything but I've stayed in that mentality even to now." I began my story, afraid to see the look on Weavile's face.

"Well, it took me a while before I realized that it wasn't going to get any better no matter how I acted. I was a ghost, so I was kicked out of town, attacked, you name it. I put up with it for as long as I could, but eventually I got tired of it. It wasn't just me either; I hung out in a group of ghosts who were equally as fed up of the treatment that we got. They… they got an idea, sold it to me; they said that I could convince other ghosts to join up in a peaceful protest of the discrimination against ghosts. Since I was a Gengar I was a good candidate to lead that sort of thing, Gengar have even more stigma associated with them than even other ghosts due to the dream eating thing. So I did it, I went to other ghosts and convinced them to join. But the more ghosts joined, the bigger the group, and the less peaceful it became." I continued, moving my hands to rest in my lap. The sun was down below the tree line, it was going to get dark soon. Pokemon were already beginning to head home.

"We finally had a big enough group to make a move, it started by standing on the main road with footprint signs explaining our purpose. But somewhere in the first day, it took a dark turn. Everybody suddenly had a change of mentality, even me. We were willing to fight and die for our purpose. At least in my case I wanted to make sure they knew how I felt all these years. Though if I'd known what would've happened, I'd have never done it to begin with: A fight broke out, and the local guild came to stop it, different rescue teams joining in to try to stop us. Since I was the leader, I was confronted by the most powerful of the group. The first were a Lucario and a Gardevoir." I paused, letting it sink in. But still, I couldn't bear to imagine the look on Weavile's face.

"They took me by surprise, they were strong. But I was stronger… at least then I was. I used my most powerful attack and sent it toward the Gardevoir. But, the Lucario intercepted it. I never intended to, but it killed him instantly. In hindsight, they were trying to kill me; it was a fight to the death. The look in their eyes betrayed it from the beginning. But still, I killed the Lucario. The Gardevoir… she let out a cry of absolute agony and loss. I guess that the Lucario was important to her or something, but she stopped as soon as he was hit. In the meanwhile, the rest of the higher ranking teams had noticed the commotion and were coming to help out. She told me she was going to kill me, and they had me cornered against a cliff wall. I fought back as best I could, but I was outnumbered. They had me beat, and I was at the end of my rope. The Gardevoir was going to deal the death blow…when suddenly it went black. Next thing I knew I was in your cave." I concluded my story, looking into the sky. The stars were bright tonight, I noticed. "When I found out you were a mercenary, I was going to go. I didn't want you to have to be the one to hunt me, or for my past to bring you trouble. You've been so kind to me, more than any Pokemon ever has been. You didn't judge me because I was a Gengar. You gave me a chance… when I didn't deserve one." I admitted, sighing.

Weavile hadn't responded, so reluctantly I turned to look at her. I was met with a look of utter disbelief, tears running down her face. It was as if I'd betrayed every trust she'd bestowed upon me. If I had a heart, that look was heartbreaking. It made me want to do anything to make it go away, and never do what I'd done again. And even then… I still hadn't told her everything; I couldn't unless she was sure she wanted in on my business. If it were me, I know I certainly wouldn't. Still, she was silent. It seemed like she was trying to find words to say, but struggling. "I… I should go. I'm sorry for hurting you, I won't bother you again. I'll find Dragonite to bring you back to Blissey." I explained quickly, hopping off the bench and beginning to walk toward town. 'Coward.' I thought to myself, but I couldn't stand the silent judgment. Especially not by Weavile, and she had all the right to do it. I was living up to my name as a Gengar.

But, I was shocked when she reached out and grabbed my hand, stopping me from leaving. "Don't go." She whispered, and I turned back to face her. "Do you know why they incarcerate outlaws?" She asked, wiping the tears from her eyes. I shook my head, I'd never put much thought into it. "So that they can see the errors in their ways and realize what they've done. But… you have a good heart. You already know what you did wrong, and you're working to fix it. I can see that. The outlaws I hunt… they're black to the core. But you… you're different. I… I choose to believe in you. We'll figure it out, the both of us together." She insisted, a determined smile finding its way to her face through the tears. "But… you can't. You're hurt; you already have been hurt as the result of my past. I never intended this to happen." I explained, reclaiming the folded paper I'd shown her: a wanted poster with my name on it, at the request of Gardevoir. I pointed to her name. "Gardevoir attacked you, didn't she? She wants me dead. Not you. But if you get involved…" I trailed off, and Weavile seemed surprised. "How did you know that it was her?" She asked. 'Crap, I let it slip…' I thought to myself. "I heard you talking about it." I admitted. "But still, you deserve better than helping an Outlaw like me." I told her, attempting to pull my hand from her grasp. "No! Stop being stupid. You're a good Pokemon, and trust me I know. I've seen enough good and bad. And… I like you. That's enough reason right there." She told me stubbornly, reaching outward to maintain her grip on my hand. It was clear to me that whether I liked it or not, she wasn't giving up on me. And even if it took me pulling her off the bench and across the ground, even with her broken leg, she'd still do it to prove it to me.

…But of course I wouldn't do that, so I gave in. "…Fine. But I warned you." I told her, sitting back on the bench. "We'll figure it out when your leg is healed. Until then, you should relax. You're way too reckless; you'll make your leg worse." I explained, frowning. "But I'm always like this. I'm a Weavile! I'm known for jumping around." She defended herself, cracking a grin. "It's weird." I replied, rolling my eyes. "You're weird!" She retorted, and I smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

I sat on the edge of the cliff, staring out at the ocean with a sigh. Not a couple months ago, I did the same with Lucario at my side. It still felt like it was just yesterday that everything happened. If it wasn't for Gengar, it still would be like that. My hands tightened into fists at the memory. Lucario and I were an unbreakable team who gained reputation by the day for our exploits and heroics. Every day we'd go out and fulfill as many requests as possible, help as many Pokemon as we could. Lucario was thanked for his sacrifices with death. I'd spend the rest of my life if I had to in order to avenge him. Gengar would pay.

Suddenly, from behind me I heard a rustling in the bushes. "Who's there?" I shouted over my shoulder, hopping to my feet. "Lady Gardevoir." A Pokemon stated, stepping out of the bushes. Turning around revealed Red Stripe. "What do you want? Our deal is over." I told him, readying moonlight at my fingertips. "I have information on the Gengar you seek." Red Stripe explained, standing his ground. "It'd better be good; I don't enjoy working with scum like you." I explained, frowning. "What's your price?" I asked the Mightyena, crossing my arms in frustration.

"A temporary alliance, I want that Weavile dead. You'll have reason to agree after you hear what I have to say about the Gengar." He explained, sitting down with his tail slowly drifting side to side. "I refuse, the fact that you're asking for my help means you couldn't do it yourself even when she was helpless at your paws. I'm not hunting the Weavile, I'm hunting the Gengar. I'm not a murderer like you who'd kill any Pokemon to get what you desired. I'm only after the Gengar." I lectured the lupine outlaw, taking steps forward with each new point, a condescending finger extended. "You're a stubborn Pokemon, Gardevoir. The Weavile and the Gengar are working together. I wouldn't be here asking if the Weavile was dead. The Gengar saved her. They're in Halfway Town as we speak." He explained, baring his sharp teeth. "See, Red Stipe, there's a difference between you and I. You need my help and I don't need yours. I could take them both down singlehandedly. Good bye." I told him, waving dismissively and sitting back on the cliff edge. "The offer still stands, for when you realize you aren't as powerful as you say you are." He laughed with hostility before heading back into the bushes. 'He's just an outlaw, he doesn't know anything.'

"Oh great lady Weavile! I've brought you an offering!" I heard Dragonite exclaim dramatically, barging through the door with snow cones in his hands. "Oh! Snow cones!" I shouted with joy, nearly jumping out of my bed to meet him but then remembering I was still bedbound. "I have Oran and Cheri, and don't break a leg over them." Dragonite joked at my previous clumsy attempt to stand. "Hmph. You were in my good graces for about a minute, so much for that; and Oran, please." I rolled my eyes, feigning disappointment. "No way! And with all of the hard work I went through to get these snow cones! I had to walk to Jynx's stall and order them! My goodness!" He exaggerated, taking a seat on the stool where Gengar normally sat. Fortunately, Dragonite picked a time when Gengar was out to visit. It was almost as if he planned it.

"Yeah, yeah. So what's the news? You've been gone, haven't even visited me since that one time to lecture me! Surely there's a reason." I frowned before digging into my snow cone. The tangy and sweet taste of oran mixed with the cool crunchiness of the snow was delicious. "You're right on the money on that one. After I found out about this Gardevoir figure, I went to the guild to search their files on her. I found out she was in a Rescue Team called Team Luna; the team ranked Platinum which is no easy feat for a casual Rescue Team. Their registered members included both Lucario and Gardevoir as leaders, and no other members. There was also something about their base of operations being the Moonlit Cliff, a moon watching spot for couples along the Windy Cliffside. And here's the kicker: Their status is unknown, last date of activity was about two weeks ago when the Milstralton Incident occurred." He explained, placing documents corresponding to the information on the bed. "Wait hold up, the Milstralton Incident?" I asked, surprised by the mention of Milstralton. "Has Gengar spilled the beans yet?" Dragonite asked a stern look to him. I nodded. "He told me what happened, but I don't know what happened after." Affirming, and checking the papers to search for information. None of them held the information I was looking for.

"To be honest I'm surprised he told you the truth. So, what did you decide to do?" He asked, changing the subject. "I decided to go to Milstralton Town with him to make up for what he'd done." I answered, taking a bite of my snow cone. "Phff- what?" Dragonite choked, spraying Cheri snow cone everywhere. "You heard me." I grinned, imagining smoke pouring out from his ears. "Surely you know what I'm going to tell you. But I know how stubborn you are, so I'm not even going to try. But, at least let me go with you? It'd be fun, the two of us traveling together again." He explained, completely ignoring the fact that Gengar would be there at all. "You know that does sound fun Dragonite. But it just won't work; someone has to stay here to protect Halfway Town. With the two of us gone the townspeople are defenseless. Explorers stop by now and again but the townspeople are no fighters." I sighed, finishing my snow cone.

"That's true… and I have the guild to worry about as well. As much as I regret to say it, you have a point. When are you leaving and when will you be back?" He asked, resigned to his fate. "We're leaving probably in a day; Blissey said Audino would be arriving later today to fix my leg. After that we'll be headed out. As for returning, I don't think we should be gone longer than a week." I considered; a pensive look on my face. "So be it. First of all, you have to swear to me you'll come home safe. If you aren't back the second the week ticks over, I'm going to look for you even if I have to travel all the way to Milstralton Town. Second, take this pendant. If you get in trouble, you can use it to call for help; I'll fly over if you use it, but beware: It only has one use." Dragonite insisted, withdrawing a simple metallic pendent from his Explorer's Pouch. "If I'd known there'd be jewelry involved I would've told you sooner!" I teased, accepting the pendent from him. "I don't think I'll be around to see you off, but you'd better come home safe. When you're home, we'll get snow cones and go on outlaw hunts and have fun. Okay?" He prompted and I nodded. "It's a deal, I promise I'll come home safe." I told him, extending a paw. He returned the gesture, and we shook hands. It was a deal.

"…This isn't going to hurt is it?" I asked, fearful of the Audino who examined my broken leg. "Hmm.. It might burn a bit when I'm healing it." She told me, a hand at her mouth pensively. "You have a knack for getting hurt, Weavile. It almost looks like your leg was snapped in two." Audino smiled, backing up and stretching her arms. "I'm having second thoughts about this, maybe I should just let it heal naturally." I gasped, scooting away from Audino. "Stop being a wimp. You were more than happy to let them chew you to pieces earlier, yet you're afraid of being healed?" Gengar scowled at me. I simply lowered my head.

Gengar doesn't entirely understand me yet. When I told him of my parent's deaths, I was proud. The ultimate way to die in my eyes is to die protecting Pokemon that are important to you, to die fighting to the last. My life only exists at the price of my parents, so I hope to pass that on to someone else. That kind of death in my eyes is the most meaningful, and I would've been content dying to protect him. Of course, I knew if I told him that he'd be quite mad at me. The idea that he thought his life wasn't worth it was very saddening to me.

"Weavile, if you don't get your leg healed you probably won't be able to walk, run, or jump like you used to for years. It'd take a lot of rehabilitation and training to get back to the level of fitness you were at. And, even then your leg might not heal right. There's so little bone, it'd take a long time to heal back if it does at all." Blissey lectured me, and Audino watched quietly. "I guess… but at the same time-" I was cut off as Gengar covered my mouth, pinning me down. "She agreed; heal her before she changes her mind!" He shouted at Audino and I struggled against his grip. Sure enough, when Audino began to heal my leg it burned like it was on fire. I would cry out, but Gengar was covering my mouth. So instead, I bit his hand. "Ouch! Why did you bite me?" He complained, withdrawing his hand and examining the bite. "Because you were holding me down! You can't just do that to someone with no warning." I growled.

"You were going to let yourself be crippled the rest of your life! It was stupid! And you bit me!" Gengar scowled, crossing his arms. "Yeah well I'll bite you again! You can't just arrest a lady!" I countered, leaping at Gengar and knocking him over. "Get off of me! Help! Crazy Weavile on the loose!" Gengar shouted, pushing me away. I settled for tickling him, but in the excitement I hadn't even noticed that my leg was healed.

Meanwhile, Audino staggered back, exhausted by her work on Weavile's leg. Sure enough, her Heal Pulse she was known for was able to heal even this grievous of an injury. And surely enough, Weavile was back in good spirits and arguing with Gengar. "Ah, they're so young and energetic." I smiled, walking to Audino's side and steadying her. "You aren't that old yourself, Blissey. You still have many, many, many more years of life." Audino returned a smile, allowing me to lead her to a stool. "And you, Audino. We've been friends many years. It's still just as rewarding as the first day to see Pokemon happy that they're better." I let out a sigh, watching Gengar and Weavile continue their struggle. Truly it was unladylike for Weavile to be rolling around on the ground like a child, but one should have fun while they can.

"I still remember the first day that Weavile showed up in town, when she was only a Sneasel." I told Audino. "You've known her for a long time as well, haven't you?" She asked, and seemed ready for a story. "Yes, I knew her mother before she was killed. I also met her father, but only once. With how powerful her mother was, I was surprised when I saw Weavile show up in town, disheveled and alone. Finally she'd met an adversary that'd outsmarted her, I suppose. But Weavile was as stubborn as her mother, and when I offered to take her in she refused. She wanted to take care of herself so she could get stronger and make sure bad Pokemon wouldn't do bad things any more. Of course I didn't let her just run off completely on her own, I helped her when I could. I was always there for her. I got to see her grow up into what she is today. She's truly a beautiful Pokemon, I wouldn't change her at all. Except maybe to be more ladylike. I can see her mother in her; she's a Weavile in her mother's image. But her father... besides her aptitude, she only takes one trait from him." I explained, watching as Gengar pried Weavile from him and went to sulk in the corner. Weavile on the other hand took a seat, a look of accomplishment to her.

"And what would that be, Blissey?" Audino asked curiously. "Hopefully you never find out! Only the outlaws she hunts see it before their defeat." I told her, making it sound as spooky as I could. "Oh, but I want to know... have you seen it Blissey?" Audino asked me, disappointed. "I have, but not because I was being hunted." I told her with a smirk. Audino was just eating up my story. "Then when?" She asked, her eyes widening and her hands clasped in front of her hopefully. "Oh, just a few times. But trust me; you'll know it when you see it." I concluded, smiling triumphantly to myself. "Oh... alright." Audino sighed, but I wasn't kidding her. She would know if she saw it. Then she'd feel silly that it was so hyped up.

It was our last night in Halfway Town before we moved on, I'd told Gengar. We were going to make things right about his past, and clear his name. Yet, I couldn't sleep. Something was bothering me and I couldn't tell what. From the amount of tossing and turning Gengar was doing, it was clear he couldn't sleep either. Finally I sat up, rubbing my eyes. I was tired but no matter what I did I couldn't sleep. "You can't sleep either?" Gengar asked, sitting up as well. I shook my head. "I'm tired but something is bothering me. I just can't quite tell what it is." I admitted. "Well, I know why I can't sleep." Gengar also confessed, averting his gaze from mine. "And why is that?" I asked, suspicious.

"Do you believe in Arceus?" He asked suddenly. It was so surprising that I took a moment to respond. "I don't know, I haven't had any proof that Arceus exists but I think that maybe there's something out there." I told Gengar, who didn't react to my decision. "I believe in Arceus more strongly than any Pokemon should." He told me, and I was confused. "What do you mean?" I asked, suddenly no longer tired. "Have you ever heard about this?" He asked me, revealing the back of his hand. I gasped in shock; there was a glowing red and gold marking. "What... what is that, Gengar?" I asked, hopping out of bed and taking his hand to examine the marking. "It's a Brand. There are stories about them... 'The Pokemon who dons the Brand is destined to make a decision in dire times which saves lives, or ends them.' Or so they say. Turns out, Arceus believes in second chances and the Branded, as they're called, are often Pokemon who made poor choices in life and have a choice to redeem themselves by making the right decision or to run from their destiny and something terrible will happen." Gengar explained a sad glance at his Brand. "What...what does this mean?" I asked, not fully understanding. "I left out details in my story; I didn't just wake up in your home. Arceus came to me in a dream, gave me a lecture about second chances and branded me. I don't know how long I was out, and I only just realized how far I was from where I was defeated." Gengar admitted with a guilty look.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, betrayed. "Because I didn't know if you would believe me, and how you'd react when I told you. I can't just go around telling everybody: 'Hey! I'm a terrible Pokemon, but I have a Brand!' There's just so much that can go wrong. So I couldn't tell you, but now that we're going to be travelling together, I have to tell you so you know what's going on." Gengar explained with a huff, taking his hand back and crossing his arms again. "I... I just wish you'd trust me more. I hope one day you feel like you can tell me everything, but until then I'll do my best to make you feel that you can." I told him, ignoring him and lying back in bed. I was done talking to him for one night. "Weavile..." He sighed, and I heard him go back to bed as well.

I was awake before Gengar, and I began by making a sprint to the Kecleon Shop, Poke in hand. "Good morning, Weavile!" Kecleon greeted me; his shop was empty and he was just opening as I walked through the door. "Good morning, Kecleon. About your reques-" I attempted to tell Kecleon but he simply shook his head. "I heard what happened with the mercenaries, Weavile. We'd all be devastated if you were killed by a bunch of unruly outlaws… And of course, I'd lose one of my best customers! You don't have to continue through with my request. I didn't lose all that much to Mightyena, only a shipment of orbs." Kecleon explained, flipping the sign on the door to 'open'. "I understand what you're saying, Kecleon, but I simply couldn't let an outlaw as dangerous as him run around unchecked. Though, I'll be gone from Halfway Town for a while so it shouldn't be an issue in that time. I came to stock up on supplies, some berries and orbs would be helpful. Gengar and I are leaving later today to head to Milstralton Town." I explained, withdrawing some Poke that Dragonite had lent me.

Kecleon's eyes lit up with delight at the clinking of the Poke in my palm. "Why, of course! Right this way." He explained, ducking behind the counter to check his stock. "It sounds like you might be gone quite a while if you're headed to Milstralton, it's nowhere near Halfway Town. Furthermore, I had a shipment due from there about a week ago which hasn't arrived yet; in my experience they're always prompt or give forewarning to delayed shipments." He warned, withdrawing a sachet filled with berries and a selection of orbs. "I think I may know what caused that to happen, but we'll find out when we get there. I'll see if I can find out what happened to your shipment as well, Kecleon." I told the shopkeeper, exchanging the goods with the Poke in my palm. "Thank you for your business! And good luck on your journey, Weavile. Remember Halfway Town will be here waiting for your return. (And business)." Kecleon waved to me as I walked out the door. "Thanks! And I know, I'll return home safely." I waved back, and then began my walk back to the clinic.


	6. Chapter 6

"Gengar! It's time for us to go!" I called into Blissey's clinic as I walked through the door with my supplies. To my surprise, there was no response; at least not the response I was looking for. "Oh, are you looking for Gengar? He left on his own a while ago; I think he was looking for you. Though I'm not sure where he went, if you go now you should be able to catch up to him." Blissey informed me while she arranged the beds of hay we'd been staying in. "All right, thank you so much Blissey. If I don't get the chance to come back, thanks for everything. I'll be sure to visit once I get back." I thanked her, though no words could truly convey how grateful I was to Blissey for everything she'd done for me. "It was nothing! Be sure to bring back your Gengar when you get back~" She teased, to my dismay. "I guess. Look after Halfway for me, and bye Blissey." I gave her my good byes and left quickly before she could tease me more than she had already.

…But as soon as I left, I ran straight into Dragonite. "Urf, good morning Weavile. I just came to see you off. Of course, I get ran into for my consideration." He greeted me with a laugh, backing away from the door to give me some space. "It's not like I had any other choice but to run into you! You're so big that you take up the whole doorway, you might want to lay off the snow cones." I told him, returning a sly smile. "Ouch, well I'll have you know I'm a normal weight for a Dragonite! I think you're just tiny!" Dragonite exclaimed, rustling the feathers on my head. "Hey! You're going to ruin my feathers." I complained, shrinking away from him. "They look the same as always, milady. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that we'll be waiting for you here in Halfway and all that stuff I said before. Basically, come home safe and don't forget the necklace. If you run into any trouble just let me know; I'll be there as soon as I can and I'll beat up anybody who hurts my Lady Weavile!" He told me, demonstrating with a fist.

"Well thank you, Dragonite, but this lady knows how to defend herself. I'll keep it in mind though; you'd better look after Halfway for me." I replied with a glance at the necklace. "I will, not that there would be any trouble here. Big ol' Dragonite tends to discourage the outlaws and renegades from even straying near Halfway Town." He nodded, raising a hand. This needed no explanation, as I jumped to give him the high five he requested.

"Oh I also had a question; have you seen Gengar? We were supposed to be leaving now but he went missing." I asked, hoping that Dragonite wouldn't give me any hassle about Gengar. "I haven't seen him, but maybe someone else has. If he skips out on you though; I'll hunt him down and turn him over to the guild myself." He grinned, an almost scary determination on his face. "I don't think that will be necessary, but I'll let you know if it is. Thanks anyway, Dragonite!" I waved and quickly made my retreat yet again to go ask around about Gengar. "Wait, Weavile!" Dragonite called after me. Quickly I turned and responded: "What is it?" There was a pause before he answered. "…It's nothing. Good luck on finding Gengar." He smiled. He was acting odd, I noted, but I had no time to pry further as we'd be off schedule if we waited much longer to leave Halfway Town.

Unfortunately, nobody in town had seen Gengar either… and I had no leads to go by except that he may have been looking for me. I took a moment to think about where he may have gone. 'Did he leave without me? No, but if he was looking for me…' I thought, and finally it all made sense; taking off into a run, I quickly made my way to the place I expected to find him.

When I arrived back at my cave finally, the door was left open; and if it wasn't Gengar who'd opened the door I knew I probably had to prepare for a fight. Extending my claws, I slowly opened the door the rest of the way and took a look into the vestibule of my cave. In the darkness of the cave, there was a figure standing and walking to the door into my home. "Stop right there!" I shouted, jumping into the dark to stop the figure. At the time, I thought it was a thief but instead I came face to face with Gengar. "Oh Arceus!" He shouted, backing away from me in fear.

"Oh it's you, Gengar. I thought that you might have been a thief; sorry!" I apologized, retracting my claws and backing away; my blush masked by the darkness. "I feel sorry for the thief who robs your home. You nearly gave me a heart attack." He rolled his eyes. "So do I; not that I've been stolen from yet. Normally I lock the door… I guess I forgot this time. Anyway, what are you doing here? We should be leaving now; I went to find you at the clinic but you were gone." I asked, confused. "…I thought you were mad at me, and went home." He admitted after a moment's pause. 'I knew it.' I thought to myself with a sigh. "I told you I was going to travel with you. I stay true to my word; and I'd only gone to buy supplies. This is what I was complaining about last night: You don't trust me. I wouldn't have taken you into my care and helped you recover if I intended on betraying you or tricking you later. It'd have just been easier to let you bleed to death on the forest floor." I lectured him angrily, paws on my hips.

"I know… I'm a dumbass; surely you know this by now that I make dumb choices and come to regret them more often than not. I wouldn't be Branded if I didn't screw up somehow. I'm sorry, okay? I don't know if you'll believe me now after how stupid I've been, but I came here to apologize to you. I really am sorry." He apologized, downcast. "O-oh… I'm also sorry, I lost my cool there. It's just frustrating, the way things are these days. Pokemon don't trust each other very much, and even if you give your all to help someone they're still likely to be suspicious of your motives. I deal with that a lot as a mercenary, usually from Pokemon that give me requests that aren't from Halfway Town. It just upsets me, and I didn't mean to take it out on you. You probably have your reasons for being unsure." I apologized shyly, unused to being apologized to at all.

"Well yeah, I guess I do but… I do trust you; I just don't express myself very well." He told me, though it was already obvious to me that he had problems communicating. I did my best to understand him, though obviously I hadn't done well enough. "It's okay… We'll have to do better in the future to understand one and other. But we'll have time for that." I told him, extending a paw. He glanced at the paw, and hesitated before taking it. "We should get going, if we're going to make it halfway to Mistralton by nightfall. We should say good bye to Blissey before we go." He told me with a grin. The misunderstanding aside, we headed back to Halfway Town through the Shady Forest.

I watched from a distance as Blissey waved off Weavile and Gengar. It hurt to watch her go, and I wanted nothing more than to be there with her as she left. Unfortunately, it was something I just couldn't bring myself to do. 'Weavile…' I thought to myself, clenching a clawed fist. It was my entire fault that it had to be like this, I never said what I needed to say before this happened. All I could do was watch as the pair walked out of town toward the dense foliage of Shady Forest. It was plain as day they were perfectly at ease with each other, how they laughed (or at least Weavile did) and joked as they began their long journey together.

I held my breath, shaking with the effort not to do something foolish. My chest ached, and I could feel myself breaking with every step she took. I knew that my Weavile would not return the same Pokemon I once knew. She'd never know that when I didn't visit her while I was hurt it was because I was frantically trying to dig up information to help her, to protect her. I did everything for her and she'd never know. I felt a rogue tear make its way down my cheek and I hastily moved a claw to remove it. I had to be strong; I was the protector and mercenary for these Pokemon of Halfway town. I'd be letting Weavile down if I didn't keep my promise. After all, she was still my best friend in the whole world. I'd never let her down.

"Dragonite? Are you okay?" I heard a feminine voice ask me, it seemed that Blissey had discovered my hiding spot. "Me? I'm fine." I responded, forcing a smile and walking back toward the heart of Halfway Town.

Mistralton Town is a coastal town in northern Matte, unfortunately quite a distance from Halfway Town. The fastest route there would be a two day trip if we travelled all day without breaks. First, we'd have to get through Shady Forest. That shouldn't be too difficult, though there are many of renegades and outlaws that we could encounter on our way through… such as Red Stripe and Drapion. After that, we'd have to travel through the Soffiare Plains: A large grassy area which many of the less dangerous renegades live. Fortunately we'd probably travel through uncontested, as renegades were often just Pokemon who chose to live out of town and were rarely hostile unless you threatened their territory. Then, we'd have to travel through another forest unlike Shady Forest. This one was called Mystic Woods, and was a beautiful rainforest that was inhabited with peaceful renegades. Finally, we'd have to travel along the Windy Cliffside, a string of cliffsides both high and low on the coastline, some that are a small leap to the sand bar and some that could be a dangerous fall. The only danger to us there would be outlaws living in the area nearby: the Berry Woods. We'd also pass by Darkside Isle, which has rumors of territorial ghosts that have been known to torment travelers on the way to Mistralton. After that, it would just be a straight walk into Mistralton.

…I explained to Gengar, who listened with a stoic silence as we gazed into the fire. We'd taken a break as soon as the sun started to set by the Rendan River; a river that runs through the Soffiare Plains which was named after a famous explorer; though now, it was night as the moon was lit overhead. Our trip through Shady Forest to then was rather uneventful, to our luck, though we could only make it to the Rendan River. That meant that our trip to Mistralton would probably take three days barring any interruptions.

"Gengar?" I asked him, confused by how quiet he was. "Yeah?" He asked finally, raising his gaze to meet mine. "Well… I was thinking about it, and I think I know why you're warm, when Gengar are usually cold." I admitted, which was the truth. While we were walking, I couldn't help but consider the warmth of his hand once again from earlier when he was apologizing to me. "What do you think?" He asked, unable to quite hide his curiosity. "Well… I think it's because you don't eat dreams." I suggested, taking a branch and adjusting the firewood in the fire. "Hm… I never thought about that. But I've never heard anything like that, either. Not that I've heard of other Gengar like me, but it's true that most Gengar do eat dreams." He explained, taking my words into consideration. It certainly seemed possible, though as he'd said, I'd never heard of ghosts who were warm.

"I know I haven't asked this before… but why don't you eat dreams?" I asked him curiously. "My parents were killed when I was a Gastly because they ate the dreams of the locals… but that's not the only reason. I don't like the idea of hurting other Pokemon for my own gain, I mean I never did anything wrong and others hurt me… I guess I knew how it felt and I didn't think anybody else deserved it. That's just how my mind worked when I was that young, but it just stuck since then." He explained with a look of nostalgia. "That's kind've cute." I admitted with a smile. "Who are you calling cute?" He told me, averting his gaze shyly. "I said that that was cute, not that you were cute." I reminded him, laughing at his expense, and received a look of disdain in return.

It was quiet after that, when out of nowhere an orb of glowing pink-white light exploded against a tree Gengar was sitting up against. Almost immediately we leapt to our feet, ready to fight the Pokemon who followed close behind. Yet as they neared, we realized that the Pokemon was Gardevoir. "I've finally found you, Gengar; ready to pay your dues?" She asked with her arms out to her side and identical orbs of light floating gently above both hands. Those orbs, I realized, were probably moonlight as Gardevoir were close to the moon as fairies were. Glancing at Gengar, I realized there was a look of horror on his face as he took in the angry fairy's words. "You must be Gardevoir, please listen to my words. Gengar and I are headed to Mistralton Town right now; he's going to make up for his actions." I explained, stepping between the pair.

"Oh… so you did survive. Sorry to say, but there's nothing that can make up for my loss…except for with his death, though I didn't expect to see you here. I'll withdraw for now, as I'm not here to fight you. I'm only looking to fight Gengar." She explained, the orbs of light at her hands disappearing as she stepped away. "Wait! Can we tal-" I attempted to call to Gardevoir, reaching out with a paw. Though, before I could finish, she simply lowered her head and vanished in a pale white light. She'd teleported away.

I heard a large sigh of relief behind me by Gengar. "I guess that's a no." I shrugged at the spot where Gardevoir had been. "So that's the Pokemon who posted the request? I guess she's trying to fulfill it herself as well…though murder is taking it a step too far." I sighed, taking a seat back at the fires edge. "Well…you already know the story. She wants to kill me for taking away Lucario's life, a life for a life I guess. I don't know her outside of that one instance, so I couldn't tell you more." He explained, looking a bit too relaxed now that she was gone. "Shouldn't you care a little bit more about the fact that she's out to kill you?" I asked with an appraising gaze. "I deserve it, I can see where she's coming from." He admitted, looking into the fire. "Don't even say that! You told me yourself, Arceus believes in second chances. You've been given a second chance, so obviously you don't deserve to die!" I argued, frustrated at his lack of self-worth. "Whatever you say." He rolled his eyes, ignoring my words. "Fine. Maybe one day you'll see it, but until then nobody is dying." I announced, attempting to sound curt yet I was still concerned for him. I'd fight Gardevoir myself if I had to, to keep him safe and make him see that his life mattered; and even if it didn't matter to him it mattered to me. "I'm going to bed, don't stay up too late. We have to be ready to go when the sun rises." I told Gengar when he didn't reply. "Good night." He replied, and the last thing I remember was the complex expression on his face as he gazed into the fire.

I yawned, considering Gardevoir's actions from the night previous as we walked through the last stretch of Soffiare Plains. For some reason, she backed out of her attack as soon as she saw me. She obviously wasn't an outlaw bent on accomplishing her goals no matter the cost, and it was possible that she didn't want to fight and possibly kill me in the process. 'Maybe I could talk to her… Surely there's some way to work this out. She's obviously not a bad Pokemon.' I thought to myself.

"You're quiet this morning." Gengar commented, before munching on another berry I'd given him for breakfast. "Oh… sorry, I'm just tired." I told him, repeating the action with one of my own berries. Then, we continued our walk in a strange silence… though I had a nagging feeling something was wrong. For that reason, I stayed on the alert as we walked, ready for anything and was sure to be aware at all times of our surroundings.

When we reached the Mystic Forest in the mid afternoon, the nagging feeling was still present; and it was even more powerful than before. "Gengar? Do you have a strange feeling at all?" I asked as we started our walk through the path in Mystic Forest. "Uhh… not that I've noticed? What kind of feeling do you mean?" He asked me with a confused look. "Like… it feels like something is off." I explained, surveying our surroundings with suspicion. "You think we're being followed?" He asked, on the alert as well at the idea. I nodded, gesturing to be quiet as I focused on listening. Closing my eyes, I honed my senses and waited. All I could hear was the chirping and singing of the native bird Pokemon, yet still something seemed off.

Then I finally located it, a Pokemon moved what must've been a fraction of an inch in the bushes, causing the tiniest of sounds as they brushed against the leaves. "Come out!" I shouted, running into the bushes. Though when I made it to where the Pokemon had been, they were gone. We were being followed, just as I'd thought; and I hoped it wasn't outlaws. It was possible that it could've been one of the renegades and I'd startled them, all I knew was that someone was there. "They got away." I told Gengar, disappointed. It reminded me of the time I let Red Stripe get away, though I couldn't chase the Pokemon like I would with an outlaw because I didn't know for sure that they were an outlaw. "Well, I guess we'll know if we're actually being followed if we see them again later." He told me and I nodded. Though, the sense of unease was gone as we walked along the wooded path this time.

This time, we'd taken a break when night fell in a grove near the end of Mystic Forest. It was almost boring how uneventful our travel had been so far, though most Pokemon traveling took the longer and safer path through the various towns along the way so it was understandable that we wouldn't meet anybody else. But after the events of the day, I wasn't able to sleep with thoughts of being followed and Gardevoir going through my head. The latter nagged me the most at the moment; I had to somehow find a way to meet up with her when I hardly knew anything about her. 'Maybe Dragonite told me something that would help me find her…' I thought, digging up what I remembered from that conversation days ago. 'Team Luna… two members… oh! Moonlit Cliff… it's probably not too far from here.' I realized, hopping to my feet. Fortunately, Gengar was fast asleep so he wouldn't notice me gone, and I quickly made my way toward Windy Cliffside.


	7. Chapter 7

I found Gardevoir exactly where I expected her to be: by the cliffside overlooking the ocean. I'd been able to ask around town and discovered that she frequented this place due to it being a spot special to her and Lucario. Slowly I approached, attempting to make my presence known as to not surprise her. "Gardevoir, I'm here to talk." I shouted to her, and I could see her hands light up before she even stood up. "I'm not here to fight you. I just want to get to know your side of the story, so maybe we could solve this peacefully." I continued with my paws to my side in an act of peace. "There won't be a peaceful end to this, but you're welcome to join me if you'd like." She let out a sigh, the light dissipating from her hands.

Cautiously I took a seat on the cliffside beside her, swinging my feet gently. "I heard from Gengar what happened that day, but I want to hear it from you." I prompted her. "My story probably isn't much different from his. The situation was volatile, and everybody was fighting. It was life or death, and though we fought to subdue Gengar, I wouldn't lie if I told you that the thought of killing him crossed my mind. It was a violent fight going on around us, so when we confronted him we were going at our best. But he was stronger than us… he charged an attack, and I think even he was surprised by how powerful it was. And, to my dismay, he sent it toward me. It was so sudden that I didn't have the chance to get out of the way. So Lucario… he jumped in the way, and he was killed instantly. That would've been me if Lucario hadn't done something. And to be honest, I wish he hadn't saved me. I would've been happy knowing I died, and not the one I loved more than anything in the world. All I have left is vengeance, my heart and soul broke in that one moment." She concluded, a tears flowing freely down her face and her hands clasped in front of her.

"But Gardevoir, do you think this is what Lucario would've wanted? I heard from Dragonite, even some of the townspeople that you were part of an amazing rescue team that put everything into making as many Pokemon happy as they could. And now you're single-mindedly working to avenge him. You even worked with outlaws at some point, and nearly killed me. Wouldn't he have wanted you to continue your work with Pokemon in his name? To remind everybody of his sacrifice, and not avenge his death?" I explained to her sadly. "You never knew him, but you're probably right. He was always stronger than me, and helped all Pokemon no matter what. But unfortunately I'm not him, and as I already told you: All I have left is vengeance." She shook her head, clenching fists at her sides.

"You also haven't known Gengar the way I have. I swear to you with fiber of my being, he's a good Pokemon. He has a heart of gold that he hides with his standoffishness, but he cares for other Pokemon so much more than he lets on. I won't deny, he made a mistake, and nothing will take back the loss of Lucario. But he's working to make up for his mistakes; we're headed to Milstralton Town now. I don't want to have to fight you, Gardevoir. You aren't a bad Pokemon, and there's much better in the world you could be working toward. But if you're set on killing Gengar to avenge Lucario, I'll fight you with everything I've got." I finished, turning back toward the ocean. The moon was nearly full tonight, I noted, that her power would be nearing its peak when we might have to fight Gardevoir.

"…You love him." Gardevoir accused, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. My cheeks reddened at the idea, but my heart didn't lie; maybe I did have some feelings for him. I nodded. "I'd die for him, Gardevoir." I told her, my voice ringing clear. "You're a good Pokemon Weavile, and I'm glad you came to talk to me. However, this is what I have to do. Tomorrow night, it's written in the stars. You'll come here, you and Gengar. I wish you the best of luck." She told me, vanishing in a pale white light yet again as she teleported away. "Gardevoir… it doesn't have to be like this…" I pleaded the empty air; unfortunately this rivalry would end in bloodshed.

I was solemn as I ate breakfast the next morning, as I felt empathy for the Pokemon on both sides of this dispute. Neither of them deserved their losses, and neither of them would forgive and forget. The only way this could end was with a fight, and possibly the death of one side. "Is something wrong?" Gengar asked, oblivious to my activities the previous night. "Well… I talked to Gardevoir." I admitted with a sigh, remembering her words yet again: 'Tomorrow night, it's written in the stars'. "You WHAT?! She didn't attack you did she?" He demanded, though his tone was angry but it was clear as day he was only worried. "Oh, no. We talked for a while at Moonlit Cliff…we talked about everything that happened; I tried to convince her not to fight. But she told me that we were going to have to fight, and even worse, that we'd fight tonight." I explained sorrowfully, the whole situation was almost that of a storybook that children would read; yet there would be no happy ending. "…If she says we fight tonight, then we'll fight tonight. We have to put an end to this, she chased me down from Mistralton Town and she even hurt you; she also manipulated outlaws to do her dirty work. If the only way to end it is to fight, then we'll fight." He explained with determination written in his features. "…Somehow I knew you'd say that." I sighed, my worst fears confirmed.

Somehow I felt guilty as we walked down Windy Cliffside; Weavile seemed dejected ever since the morning when she found out we were going to have to fight Gardevoir. I'm sure the reason for that was because she knew deep down that I was right. Despite being a mercenary, she was a real softie when it came to dealing with Pokemon. She had to have been to take me in, I noted with the hint of a smile. Yet when you'd expect her, being a mercenary, to speak with her claws and guile in a fight; she chose instead to speak with words and avoid a fight at all. I hadn't seen her fight yet, but I could tell that she was a powerful opponent when she did fight. But the thought of Weavile fighting…I almost couldn't imagine it; she was just, well, too sweet.

When I finally stopped daydreaming about Weavile I realized I'd been staring at her, and she'd realized this; a hint of a blush on her face. "I wasn't staring at you, I swear!" I exclaimed quickly in my embarrassment…though that pretty much confirmed that I had been. 'Smooth moves, Gengar.' I thought to myself, tempted to face palm but decided against it as that'd just make her think I was crazy. "Umm… okay. I just wondered if you were all right." She explained, continuing to walk despite her embarrassment. "Just forget you saw anything." I rolled my eyes, though my words didn't alleviate the awkwardness at all as we continued to walk along the cliffside; though we wouldn't travel much longer, as we had to wait for nightfall near the Moonlit Cliff to meet Gardevoir.

We'd made another small fire and waited until nightfall on the coast at a low part of the cliffs. When it was finally late enough, he stood up and took a look toward the top of the cliffside yet it was too high up to see the top, he'd never see Gardevoir from here. "Gengar… we don't have to fight this. We can just go to Milstralton Town, and forget about her." I pleaded him, but from the look on his face I knew I wouldn't be able to get through. "It has to be now, Weavile. If I don't fight her, she's just going to keep chasing me, keep taking down anybody who gets in her way, even innocents, until she is killed or she kills me." Gengar explained with a grave tone, and began to walk up the winding path.

When we were getting close, I decided I'd try one last time to avoid the fight I knew would end in nothing but death. "But Gengar, maybe I could talk to her aga-" I tried to say, but I was cut off by our arrival in the clearing. The moon shone brightly above, illuminating the cliffside area in a pale light. Just as I'd seen the night before, Gardevoir sat on the edge, looking out toward the ocean. "I've been expecting you." She announced, standing up and walking our way. Gengar and I immediately took a fighting stance, and I extended my claws to be ready, tensing my muscles. "My only quarrel is with Gengar. You can choose to leave now, Weavile. But if you stay, I'll fight you too." Gardevoir warned me, moonlight gathering at her fingertips. "You know I can't do that, Gardevoir." I smiled a sad smile, which she returned.

"Enough talking, let's get this over with. For the last time." Gengar growled, and ghostly energy had gathered around him, his eyes glowing fiercely. "As you wish." Gardevoir affirmed, readying an ability suddenly and sending it toward me. A familiar sense of numbness filled my body and I fell to the ground, paralyzed. "I'm sorry; Weavile, but I can't kill you. I hope that one day you forgive me." Gardevoir apologized. "No… please don't do this Gardevoir… no!" I shouted, but it fell on deaf ears. All I could do was helplessly watch as Gengar and Gardevoir began to fight. It was a fight unlike any I'd seen, with ghostly energy, psy energy, and moonlight being used in attacks toward one another. They were evenly matched, and both extraordinarily strong. I'd even be worried if I were to fight either one of them.

Though as time went by, it seemed clear that Gengar had an edge and Gardevoir was slowing down. It was heartbreaking to watch as the both of them fought; as I didn't want to see either of them die. But then, out of nowhere, Gardevoir teleported a distance and began to charge up moonlight between her fingers. It was almost like out of the story that both Pokemon had told me where Gengar had charged a similar attack of shadow. If Gengar were to be hit by the charged attack, it was unlikely he would survive. But Gengar didn't seem to realize the gravity of the situation, and only rushed to close distance so he could continue his own attacks. I watched in slow motion as Gardevoir sent her attack flying toward Gengar, and he only just realized what was about to happen. But he was too slow; he wouldn't make it out of the way. 'No… No!' I won't watch this happen again. Something burned inside of me, begging to be released… and without hesitation, I gave into it. 'I won't let it happen again this time!'

Quickly I ran toward the moonlight, the paralysis no longer weighing me down. "Weavile, no!" Gengar shouted, but I didn't listen. I jumped in the way of it just in time for it to hit me full on. "No!" Gardevoir shouted, and I fell to the ground. It burned, but where it burned it became numb, slowly spreading from the spot where I was hit. "Weavile!" Gengar shouted, quickly falling to my side and scooping me into his arms. "Why did you do that? You… you…" He tried to find the words but failed, his eyes wide with worry, and I could almost see the beginning of tears.

"I… I couldn't see you get hurt. I couldn't watch you die when there was something I could do." I answered, smiling despite the pain. "But Weavile… it was meant for me, I was supposed to die! You can't die!" Gengar shouted at me in desperation, but I was slowly becoming weaker and weaker. "No… it's alright. I'm happy to die… to die to protect you. As long as you're okay…" I changed my wavering gaze to Gardevoir, tears beginning to fall. "Is my sacrifice enough for you? I'll die like Lucario if it saves him." I asked as my vision blurred. "But Weavile, why? You're a good Pokemon; all you ever wanted was for everybody to be happy. It shouldn't be you who dies!" Gardevoir shouted, emotion ringing clear in her voice. "Please, Gardevoir. I don't have long…" I begged her, and I was too weak to wipe the tears from my eyes. "Yes, Weavile. I'll stop." She answered me, reluctantly. "Thank you… Good bye, Gengar." I smiled up at him. "Stop it, Weavile! You're going to make it through this! I'm going to take you to Blissey! She'll fix this." Gengar insisted, but I couldn't respond. The last sight I saw before everything faded to blackness was Gengar's tearful expression.

The pain away loss on his face took me back to the day I lost Lucario. But now at least he finally understood me on a level no other should. Blood was paid for in blood, but it shouldn't have been Weavile's. That day she told me she'd do what she had to if I was determined to kill Gengar... I tried to stop her, surely he saw that. I never would've targeted Weavile.

Clearly he didn't see things the same way, as a ball of shadow haphazardly thrown whizzed over my shoulder. "Stop it, you'll make me have to dishonor Weavile's last wish." I warned him, resummoning my moonlight. "I don't care! I don't have anything left. I never wanted any of this! Weavile's never deserved this. I don't want my Brand, I never deserved a second chance to begin with... And I definitely wouldn't have taken that chance if I knew I'd see her die for me." Gengar wailed, tears streaking his face.

"Wait, you're branded?" I asked in shock. This changed everything, as it was sacrilege to interfere with the mission of the branded. "What's it to you? You want me dead anyway. Why don't you just kill me now?" He retorted, conjuring more energy with his free hand, his other arm cradling the deceased Weavile's. "You're right, I do want you dead. But I can't attack you while you're branded." I explained with a defensive stance. "I have nothing stopping me." He warned.

Suddenly, a dark puddle appeared in the clearing, first small and then expanding. Understandably, we backed away. A figure rose from the pool that seemed to be made of pure shadow. The figure had red glowing eyes. But then, the shadow fell away revealing a Pokemon I hoped I'd never meet. I almost couldn't believe my eyes. With a gasp, I realized I gazed upon Giratina, god of the Reverse World. He simply said: "Sorry to interrupt your drama, but thank you for returning my daughter to me."


	8. Chapter 8

"Your...what? You can't have Weavile!" I growled protectively. God or not, no Pokemon would separate me from Weavile right now. "Really? So you don't want to see her alive again?" He asked with a grin that was a bit too wide for comfort. "But she's dead." I stated, taking a step back from the grinning god. "She's in a stasis similar to death. Her lineage grants her protection from death. And, she had to die to awaken to her lineage. So really it's a win-win here." Giratina gave a gesture akin to a shrug. "That doesn't make sense! She's a Weavile! She told me her parents were Weavile!" Gardevoir questioned the legend. "If you want those answers, you'll have to come to Darkside Isle. I don't want to have to repeat myself to Weavile. But I assure you, she's a scion of death. Her mother and I named her _Serenica_, or 'the light in the darkness'. But she doesn't remember." Giratina explained, spreading his golden red wings which ominously dripped of shadow. At the same time, a red glow surrounded Weavile. "You have a day to reach Darkside Isle; it's not far from here." And with his final message, both Giratina and Weavile vanished.

I fell to my knees; it felt like I'd simultaneously had everything worth living for ripped from me, and that the tiny hope rekindled was my only hope. But it had been a lot to take in; I thought that I was the one with the secrets, but truly it was Weavile who'd been hiding much more than I'd known. But, somehow I should've known. It was her red eyes that glowed in the darkness that gave her parentage away. Those red eyes that made my heart beat faster, made me feel alive, and simultaneously cut me to the core and told me that I couldn't hide forever. I missed them already, and it hadn't been even an hour since her death. So I decided that no matter what, I'd never let myself have to miss them again. I'd go to Darkside Isle and fight as hard as I could to get Weavile back, and never leave her again. Clenching a fist of determination, I stood up and began to walk to the north. Darkside Isle was a place I'd visited that ghosts normally liked to inhabit.

"Where are you going?" I heard Gardevoir ask behind me. "Where do you think?" I growled, pushing my desire to silence her forever away; I had bigger concerns at the moment. "You're going alone? Let me go with you. I owe Weavile; she gave my life a new meaning. The least I can do is renewing hers." Gardevoir explained to my horror. "No. Leave me alone. If I ever see you again, I'm going to kill you." I told her, and continued walking. "As you wish, but I'm still going with you. And not for you, I still haven't forgiven you; I probably won't ever forgive you. But I'm going for Weavile. I have a bad feeling about this meeting with Giratina; it won't be as simple as: 'Oh you made it, have Weavile.' Remember, Giratina mentioned that he was thankful to us for returning his daughter to him. That has to mean something." Gardevoir argued, and I heard her footsteps behind me. "I'll be fine. You obviously haven't been to Darkside Isle. It's not a place that a Gardevoir would want to travel; Ghosts live there and they aren't exactly friendly to your kind." I countered, and continued walking. Yet, despite my warning she still continued to follow me. "I understand, but I've handled worse in my career as a rescue team. The least that should worry me would be a few ghosts." She laughed at me. "So be it, but I'm not going to help you. You're on your own." I told her. "Fine." She answered, and I did my best to ignore her on my walk to Darkside Isle.

Darkside Isle; also named the isle of sinners. A bridge of stone connected the isle to the mainland, and a creaky metal gate barred the entrance. Though it was only for show, because the Pokemon who lived there hardly needed it and the mainland Pokemon would never visit. But it was a place that Pokemon really need to see.

There's a common misconception about ghost Pokemon such as myself. They're believed to be spirits of the dead, rather than Pokemon themselves. Though little did they know, those ghosts Pokemon are as alive as any other Pokemon. We hatch from eggs all the same; have parents, families, and lives. Part of why the mainland believes that the conditions of Darkside isle are perfect for ghost Pokemon.

The last time I visited Darkside Isle, it was the picture of poverty. There were ghosts both young and old starving, living in broken down huts, fighting… Territory wars, crimes, and pranks ran rampant simply because of how segregated the ghosts were on Darkside Isle. There were teams of Pokemon from the mainland sent to guard the entrance so that the ghosts couldn't leave and they wouldn't be able to hassle the mainland. They had their reasons, I understand that much, as ghosts often played pranks or ate dreams as their species determined. But they took it a step too far when they couldn't even leave to find food or water.

As we walked through the remains of Darkside, it became clear that ghosts no longer lived here. It was as if everybody up and vanished one day, leaving behind only the poverty that they once stayed in. It sent a shiver down my spine, as I was the Pokemon who rallied them in the first place. It was possible that they were all captured or killed as a result of my actions. The biggest understatement of the century would be that I felt guilty. "Something wrong?" Gardevoir asked as we walked. "…No. It seems like the ghosts are gone, so you should be safe. For now." I answered, turning my back on her and allowing her to walk ahead before continuing myself.

There was no sign of Giratina or Weavile and we were reaching the far end of the island. "Were… were we too late?" Gardevoir asked, stopping in her tracks and pointing at the sky. The sun was setting quickly, and we were pressed for time. "We still have time. Our destination is up ahead." I told her, pointing at a large stone building visible just over the horizon. She nodded, and together we sprinted to the abandoned temple.

It was only fitting that the abandoned temple would be the place that Giratina would meet us, it was believed to be the closest place to the Reverse World that Giratina ruled. However, the temple was long in ruins so it was impossible to determine what its purpose may have been when it was still in use. Not even a statue remained unbroken to give a clue into its history. It became apparent just how run down it was as we reached the steps leading up to it. Without even waiting for a response from Gardevoir, I began to climb the steps. My destiny awaited me ahead, brand be damned I was going to get Weavile back.

When we reached the innermost sanctum of the abandoned temple, Giratina was already there waiting for us. Ominously, he was floating in his Origin forme, which shouldn't have been possible outside of the Reverse world. "About time you showed up!" Giratina huffed, eyeing us impatiently. In front of him, Weavile floated limply while cloaked in a red light. I noticed her wounds from the moonlight previously were mysteriously absent. "There's a reason I brought you here. If I had things my way, I'd take Weavile back to the Reverse World with me and that would be the end of it. But I don't want to be the father that controls my daughter's life. I really don't want her to hate me, and we have eons to sort things out." Giratina explained with a sorrowful look at the unresponsive Weavile. "Why don't you ask her herself what she wants rather than have it be a decision between us? She's going to hate you either way if you try and force either life upon her." Gardevoir explained, confused at Giratina's reasoning. "I have my reasons, and you'll see as soon as we begin. So, if you want her back, this is your chance. Subdue her and I'll leave her with you. If she kills you, then I'm taking her back to the Reverse World until she can control herself." He grinned, spreading his wings. "What do you mean… subdue her?" I growled, the familiar feel of ghostly energy spreading over my body. "You'll have no better companion should you succeed, Branded one. Not that I approve of the state of your relationship with my daughter." Giratina merely smiled and backed away, no lack of threat in his final words.

The red aura disappeared from Weavile, and she slowly floated to the ground. Touching the ground, she settled in a kneeling position, her eyes still closed. "Weavile?" I asked, confused. Suddenly, her eyes opened, blazing with a hostile red glow unlike anything I'd ever seen before. She uncrossed her arms, unsheathing her claws which took a similar electric red energy upon them. Two slices, two waves of destructive energy were headed our way. "Arceus above!" I heard Gardevoir shout and we both dove behind the pillars of the temple for cover.

"What are we going to do?" I shouted to Gardevoir, who hid behind a pillar near to mine. "I have no idea! I'm not the one with the plan!" She shouted back, fear rising in her voice. I heard the sound of crackling energy again, followed by the sound of cracking stone. "Run! She hit the pillars!" I called to Gardevoir, running out into the open just in time before the pillar crashed down where I'd been standing. Anywhere that red energy hit, destruction followed. Scorched and broken stone rained down from the ceiling. "Weavile! Stop this; I don't want to have to fight you!" I pleaded, and her gaze turned on me. Slowly, with her claws raised, she began to walk towards me. 'Shit.' I cursed in my head, before scrabbling for a plan.

I gestured to Gardevoir at the other end of the room, pointing and attempting to communicate to be ready, that I was going to try to talk her out of it. She seemed to get the idea, charging moonlight. If I couldn't get through to her, at least Gardevoir could use her moonlight to defeat her. Hopefully. "This isn't you, Weavile. The Weavile I know wouldn't hurt anybody without reason. In fact, she'd go to words before a fight!" I shouted, jumping out of the way of a vertical wave of energy. My words had no effect on her, and she continued her advance. "I'm not going to fight you, Weavile. I'd rather die. I owe you my life at least three times over." I explained, slowly walking towards her. Another wave of energy headed my way, though the accuracy was off and it missed me; hitting the stone pillar nearby. But, there was no clear indication that she could hear me, as she continued to walk toward me.

"Keep trying! There's no guarantee my attacks will do anything to her. She loves you! She told me she'd die for you that one night when she came to talk to me, that we shouldn't fight. The only way we can get through this without fighting her is through you! She should listen to you!" Gardevoir shouted to me from across the room. I was shocked. "She… loves me? Why would she love me?" I shouted back at Gardevoir. She couldn't love me; I was just a moron who kept on getting her in trouble and ruining her life. Hell, she even died because of me. There was no way. "Stop being dense! You don't die for just anybody! Lucario died for me because he loved me, Weavile died for you because she loved you." Gardevoir shouted back angrily, her moonlight glowing brightly against the darkness of the temple. Now that she mentioned it, Weavile's sacrifice was strangely reminiscent of Lucario's. "Don't give up!" She cried, but Weavile heard her voice and immediately focused in. Quickly, Gardevoir sent her moonblast hurdling toward Weavile as a last resort. She deflected it with a slash of her claws, as if it were no effort to her. Two waves of power sent pillars crashing down on where Gardevoir had been standing. It was all up to me now, and Gardevoir's words still rung in my mind. _'Stop being dense… Weavile died for you because she loved you.'_

I really was dense. Acting quickly, I ran to Weavile and simply held her in my arms. Her power reached out hungrily, and in its wake left weakness. It was draining away my life force. "If you do this, Giratina is going to take you to the Reverse World. Please! We can go to Milstraton Town together and make things right like we said we were going to do. I can't do it without you." I begged, my energy continuously being drained away. "Weavile, come back to me! I love you!" I shouted my confession, flinching against her latent power. Unfortunately, my confession didn't make much of a difference to the unleashed Weavile. Her power immediately began to burn me from the inside, as if it was draining away my soul. I couldn't hold on much longer. "Weavile… I…I'm sorry… I'll….see you in… the Reverse World…And…I meant what…I said… I love you." I finally released her, collapsing to the ground and panting. I had nothing left in me to fight any longer. Dizzy, I waited for my fate.

But to my surprise, it didn't come. The glowing of her eyes was flashing, as if the Weavile inside was fighting for control. Finally, the battle decided, she sunk to her knees. I held my breath as I waited for her eyes to open once again. To my relief, the eyes that met mine were the ones of the Weavile I knew. "Gengar… are you okay?" She asked, walking to my side. "Weavile… I'm so glad." I told her, hugging her with what strength I had left. "W-what are you doing?" She asked, and I could hear the embarrassment in her voice. "You don't know what happened, do you?" I asked, pulling away in embarrassment as well. She seemed to take a moment before responding. "…No. I don't remember." She told me, averting her gaze.

"Sorry to break up your romantic moment, but I have to speak to my daughter." Giratina shot me a glare that sent shivers down my spine. The message here was clear. I slumped back to the ground, panting heavily. The damage done by Weavile was quite significant to weaken me this much. "I don't know what you're talking about." I told him with a roll of my eyes.

"Your… your what?" Weavile staggered in the presence of the god. "I know it's hard to believe, but I can explain. You, Weavile, are my daughter." Giratina insisted, landing on the torn temple ground. "You must be mistaken… both my mother and father were Weavile." She responded to the god.

"That's because one of my friends altered your memory. Your mother and I came to an agreement that we wanted you to have a relatively normal upbringing free from the burdens of legends. Of course, you were only a child at the time and had already been exposed to the legends for a few years. Plus, I am a legend and if we were to raise you without influence of the Hall, I couldn't be there. So the only way we could work this out for you was to have one of the legends block away your memories of the Hall, the legends, and even me. Your mother took you to Halfway Town and raised you to be a mercenary on her own, though you remember having a father he was just an illusion placed in your memory by the legend. And, as you remember, she made a mistake and was killed. But due to the promise I made with her, I couldn't step in and raise you myself. So I left it to a friend of mine who you know all too well." Giratina explained sorrowfully. His story was much different from the one that Weavile told me herself about her family.

"…That's not possible. None of this is possible." Weavile gasped, taking slow steps back from the legend. "If it weren't true, you'd be dead right now. Your mother and I named you Serenica, or the Light in the Darkness, and you're a Scion of Death. You're everything we ever wanted you to become, and I know this must be hard to take in but it was all for a reason." Giratina insisted, never shifting his gaze from the striken Weavile. "I… I died… but… why am I here? What happened to this place?" She asked in succession, not quite understanding. "You did die, but as a Scion of Death you can't truly die. Death causes you to enter a stasis which breaks in time, reviving you to walk amongst the living once again. Although, you aren't totally invincible, just difficult to truly kill. Every death will take a toll on your soul, and one day you won't be able to revive again. But death makes you powerful… the damage done to this temple was all by you. Soon enough, you should come to your own and be able to control that power." Giratina explained; pride evident.

"So you're telling me that you're my father, you altered my memory, I died, I'm a scion of death, which makes me tough to kill…I destroyed this place, and nearly killed Gengar?" Weavile recounted, anger rising in her voice. "I'm fine, though you missed the part about nearly killing Gardevoir. Oh, and the fact that he was going to drag you to the Reverse World without your consent. And that we had to travel here to convince him to give you a choice, that he unleashed you on us with your full strength. All in all, not too much happened while you were gone." I explained sarcastically with a halfhearted shrug. "I know it sounds pretty bad, but I had my reasons. No, we had our reasons. Your mother and I. I hope that one day I can make it up to you, and that you'll forgive me. We have eons for that, though." Giratina explained apologetically.

"You are not my father. No father would mutilate the memories of his daughter so, hurt her friends-" There was a skeptical glance at the word 'friends' "-or attempt to take away her freedom. I never want to hear from you again, get out of my life." Weavile explained coldly, not holding back at all in her declaration to the God of the Reverse World, tears beginning to pour down her face. I winced, resisting the powerful urge I didn't understand to go over and comfort Weavile. "I understand you're mad at me… though, I can't leave you to your old life entirely unchecked. I'd be hearing from Arceus if I did that, but I can contact you only when necessary. I think… maybe when you get your memories back you might feel a bit differently. The legend who repressed your memory… he said it was locked, and that it could be triggered to return by the 'key'. Unfortunately he wouldn't tell me what it was; only that it was possible. I apologize for all of the inconvenience I've caused. I'm going to go now… if you need to contact me, just speak my name. I'll be there." He responded with a sad smile, laced with pain underneath. "I won't." She hissed; defiance clear on her face. Giratina's sad smile remained as the familiar darkness surrounded him, and vanished back into the ground, taking the god with it. "…And don't you even think of getting intimate with my daughter, Branded one." His voice sounded one last time before he was gone.

We stood there dumbfounded, staring at the spot that Giratina had been for a few moments. My face was definitely red, and I had a million protests at the Death God's final words but now definitely wasn't the time to let what I assumed was his dry sense of humor get to me. I took a deep breath before I found the courage to ask: "Are you okay?" It was quiet and she didn't react to my words, almost as if she hadn't heard me ask her at all. Finally, Weavile wiped the remainders of tears off of her face and turned toward me. "I'm okay." She lied, plastering a fake smile on her face. "Are you all right? I'm so sorry for hurting you… I broke my promise…" She sighed, kneeling at my side to check for wounds. "I'm fine; I told you it's okay. Stop worrying about me. You're the one that we should be worrying about." I responded, struggling to my feet in an attempt to ease her worries. "I'm also okay, don't worry about it. Where is Gardevoir?" She changed the subject quickly, examining the ruined temple. "Uh, last I saw she was in the back. Didn't really pay more attention than that, I didn't choose to travel with her." I explained and no sooner than I told her the location she was gone.

Carefully I followed her; I was still fatigued from the damage I'd taken previously. In fact, I was surprised I could walk at all. My gait was unsteady and my vision blurred as I walked. Unfortunately, the dizziness was too much and I conceded defeat, kneeling on the ground. At least Weavile hadn't seen what happened; she didn't need my condition to get her down. "I found her." Weavile hopped over the downed pillars to tell me. "She… she's unconscious. I think she hit her head." She explained delicately, though I could tell she blamed herself. "We should probably stay the night here to sort ourselves out; though I don't plan to be traveling with Gardevoir for long." I admitted, waiting to see what Weavile thought. "That… sounds like a good idea. I just want to thank Gardevoir before we go." She explained, before taking a seat nearby. "Also, thank you for coming to save me. You really didn't have to… I don't regret my actions, and I would've been happy to die the way I did." She told me, sincerity ringing in her voice.

"Stop it. Of course I had to save you. You've saved me at least three times now, on top of everything else you've done for me. The least I could do was step in to save YOUR life." I insisted; annoyed by the idea that she believed she should've died. "I also couldn't do this without you…" I mumbled to myself. "What was that?" She asked curiously. "Nothing." I responded, crossing my arms. "All right, I'm going to go find food and something to start a fire." She announced, walking toward a hole in the temple wall. "Wait!" I shouted, rising to my feet before stumbling gracelessly due to the dizziness. "Yes?" She asked, with a confused my direction. "Do you know where we are? This is Darkside Isle. It's not a good idea to-" I tried to tell her but she cut me off. "I'll be fine." She insisted, hopping over the edge and walking out into the trees. It bothered me, because I definitely knew something was wrong; not that I was surprised given all she'd been through. But in this state, there was nothing I could do to help her.


	9. Chapter 9

It was the end of the second day, and despite the time we spent in the temple we still weren't much better. Gardevoir had finally come to, and was no less grouchy than before her concussion. Weavile was continuing to pretend she was okay even though the opposite was more than obviously the case. She was also intent on getting us back on our feet, by gathering food and keeping a fire going while we weren't able to ourselves. Myself, I finally am able to walk again but I'm not quite ready to travel the distance to Milstralton yet. I was trying to sleep by the fire that Weavile had prepared a few hours earlier, and was just on the verge of drifting off when suddenly someone shook me. "Ugh… what's your problem?" I growled, realizing the Pokemon kneeling over me was Gardevoir. "Don't be dumb. Haven't you noticed? Weavile's been sneaking off after she thinks we're asleep. This isn't a problem I can help her with, she went that way. Go find out what's going on." She insisted, hauling me to my feet and pushing me in the direction she prompted. I stumbled a few steps before looking back at her with murder in my eyes. "What's your problem?! I'm tired. There's nothing I can do to help her, she just says she's okay when either of us confronts her. What makes you think me going will be any different? I've tried to talk to her already." I hissed at Gardevoir. "She loves you. You love her, don't you? The only one who she's going to open up to is you, like it or not. Trust me; I think you should go check on her. I have a bad feeling about this." Gardevoir admitted, shifting her gaze to look at the ground. "I already told you, she couldn't love a moron like me. And how can you be so sure? But I guess I'll go check on her, I have nothing to lose." I shrugged, walking out into the darkness.

As I was walking through the forest of Darkside Isle, I heard the sounds of someone crying and took off into a sprint. Surely enough, the source was Weavile, crouched under a tree not too far from the Temple. "Weavile! Are you all right?" I asked, rushing to her side. She seemed surprised, wiping away tears in an attempt to hide her sorrow. "I-I'm fine. I thought you were asleep." She admitted, hiding her face from my view. "Stop lying to me. You say you're okay, but I can tell you're forcing yourself to be cheerful. Obviously what Giratina told you upset you, and you're just keeping it to yourself. You know you can talk to me, right? I'm always here to lend an ear." I explained, not even bothering to hide my concern. It disturbed me that she might have been hiding out alone crying the previous nights. "I… no, I'm not all right. I'm a monster. I nearly killed you, I told you that I didn't remember but that wasn't true. I could see in flashes what was happening, but I couldn't act. And on top of that, I'm surrounded by lies. I have no past, no true memories. I don't know what to believe any more." She admitted, tears flowing down her face once again.

Instinctively I reached out and brushed them from her face. "You think you're the monster? I'm the outlaw here. I killed someone. You haven't hurt anybody on your own volition. Now tell me: Who's the real monster here?" I asked her, confused by her concern. "You definitely aren't a monster Gengar… and I know what you're trying to say, but… I could still randomly go crazy and kill you couldn't I? And I made a promise that I'd see you through to Milstralton Town but I don't want to put you in danger. And I promised Dragonite that I'd make it home in a week and I don't know if we'll make it in time. And-" She tried to explain, but suddenly she stopped. "C-can't…breathe.." She gasped, breathing fast. It appeared that she was having an anxiety attack. "Relax! Just breathe slowly." I told her, but she didn't seem to calm down at all. "You don't have to handle everything on your own. I'm here for you, at least. I promise I'll always be here for you when you need me." I explained, hugging her. That seemed to be the key, because as soon as I hugged her I felt her calm down. "Are…are you sure? Even though I could kill you?" She asked me, returning the gesture. "I would never lie about that." I rolled my eyes at her doubt. And she thought I had trust issues.

"One more thing… remember what you said? When I was trying to kill you?" She asked and I pulled back, confused. "One of the last things…" She admitted shyly. 'Oh. That thing. I guess she heard it.' I thought to myself, embarrassed as realization dawned. "Did you mean it?" She asked me, blushing slightly. "I don't know what you heard, or didn't hear. But I meant it all." I told her, sincerity burning in my eyes. "That's good… because I love you too." She told me, before she kissed me.

It was the next morning before Gengar and Weavile returned to the temple, and I'd only just woken up as I heard their steps in the temple. The sun shined on their silhouettes as they walked through the temple hall. They walked hand in hand, and while Weavile almost glowed with happiness, Gengar, true to his nature, tried to make it look as if nothing happened at all. I raised an eyebrow in confusion, and hoped to Arceus that what happened wasn't what I thought happened. The idea made me feel nauseous, and I attempted to ignore it as I rose to meet them. "Good morning." I greeted Weavile specifically, as Gengar pulled his hand away in embarrassment at my presence. "Good morning, Gardevoir! You look a bit paler than usual, are you all right?" She asked curiously, curse her curiosity. "I-It's nothing! I just had an unpleasant thought, but it has nothing to do with you." I insisted, bashfully averting my gaze. Unfortunately, Weavile was as wise as I was, and her face went a bright red color. "…What's your problem?" Gengar asked, oblivious to our previous conversation. "Uhh… one second!" Weavile squeaked, grabbing my hand and pulling me aside.

"It's not what you think! We just… came to a realization of some sort! He came to cheer me up but it's really not what you think. I know what it looks like, but it's not." She insisted, and I just nodded impassively. "…Exactly why you two needed the entire night to yourselves. I really don't know what you see in him, but I'm glad you're happy." I snorted, trying not to laugh; which only made her become even more red and flustered. "We were just talking! And then I got really tired and fell asleep. He just stayed to make sure I was okay, he didn't want to wake me up." She explained, covering her face with her paws. "Well, I'll take your word for it." I snickered, and she let out a sigh.

"We're leaving for Milstralton today. I was going to ask you if you wanted to go; I know that you only came to ensure that I came back to life, which I'm incredibly thankful for and I hope you know that. But, what will you do now that that's over?" She asked, not quite able to hide her hopefulness. "Well, I wasn't here actually just to bring you back to life. I owe you much; you've given my life a new purpose. As long as I can, I want to help you out. A Pokemon like you can make a difference in this terrible world, you're just too good for your own good Weavile." I explained nonchalantly, leaning against a nearby pillar with suave. "I really don't know about that, Gardevoir, but I'm glad that you want to help out. Revenge is no way to live." She told me with a smile. "You'll also be traveling with Gengar though; it's his mission after all. Are you still okay with that?" Weavile asked with an expectant look.

I glanced at Gengar, who gazed at Weavile with protectiveness. Smiling, I answered: "Of course. We didn't kill each other on our way here, so it should be fine. Are you sure that you want to travel to Mistralton, though? It's nothing like what it was, and I really wouldn't advise it." She seemed confused. "What do you mean?" She asked. "I think you'll find out when you get there." I replied, but she still didn't understand. It was probably better if Gengar didn't hear of it until he got there; he needed to see it firsthand. She nodded hesitantly, though I could tell she still wanted to know.

"We're heading out now, Gengar!" Weavile announced, walking toward a disinterested Gengar. "It's about time you two got done gossiping. Is this we being me and you or we including her?" He asked with a look of disdain toward me. "I'm glad you're so enthusiastic that I'm joining you." I grinned, taking a sick sense of enjoyment from his displeasure. And to say, his displeasure was great as I took in the look of horror on his face. "Well, she's decided that she'll stick around as long as she's needed. I have a feeling that we'll need her help in the future." Weavile attempted to sell Gengar on the idea, but the look of horror remained. "…Fine. But she'd better not get in our way." Gengar humphed, and quickly took the lead out of Darkside Isle. It was clear that he still wasn't happy with the decision. Weavile and I looked at each other, shrugging simultaneously before following the grumpy ghost out.

It was strangely quiet as I walked at Weavile's side down the remainder of the coastline leading to the Berry Woods. To nobody's surprise Gengar plodded behind us, glowering all the way. He wasn't going to let his opinion on my presence go unnoticed. "Hey, Gardevoir?" Weavile asked me, a familiar curiosity in her eyes. "What is it?" I responded, and somehow I knew what she was going to ask next. "Would you… tell me about yourself? We really don't know you that well yet and I feel like it'd break the ice." She explained, smiling encouragingly. "Are you sure? It's not a very exciting story." I returned the smile. "Of course! I'd be more than willing to tell you about myself as well." She exclaimed, ready for me to begin.

"…Well it all started back when I was a Ralts. I was born with strong ties to the moon, and strong psy energy. My parents couldn't keep up with me, they were much weaker than I was and never tried to improve. When I was a Kirlia, I overheard them one night planning to send me away to a guild for training… But I didn't want that, and I was hurt that they didn't want me anymore. So, I ran away. That's that." I shrugged, ending my story before it went any further.

"But that can't be the end! Where did you go? Where did you grow up? How did you meet Lucario? What were your experiences like in a Rescue Team?" Weavile asked one question after another. My gaze shifted to the sky in consideration before it found its way back to Weavile's eager face. "It's probably better that I don't tell you yet. There are Pokemon I'm protecting by not sharing my story. I'm sorry." I apologized, my thoughts going back to said Pokemon; a sigh finding its way to my lips. "No, it's okay. You can tell me whenever you feel comfortable sharing." Weavile told me cheerfully. "And you two thought I was suspicious…" Gengar grumbled under his breath. "What was that?" Weavile turned to ask him. "Nothing." He rolled his eyes and continued to walk. It was quiet once again as I began to reminisce about my past.

It was a full moon when I made my escape from my family, the chilled air of the night stinging my bare skin. As a Ralts, sometimes I wished I was born with fur; moonlight escapades weren't uncommon for me. What was uncommon was that this one had no end in sight; I decided I was never going to return to my family. After all: They didn't want me around, and I never belonged anyway. I got visions sometimes of the future, and this time I'd seen my parents discussing their plan to send me away. Naturally being gifted through psy would alienate me from the others, but when I could see things in the future… I was truly separated. Nobody would listen to me, and they called me a prophet of doom once my warnings would come true. It wasn't as if I could control seeing the future, I'd get glimpses out of my own control. Usually they weren't triggered by anything, but sometimes I'd get visions relating to a Pokemon I'd meet. It wasn't my fault... and it'd cost me the only family I'd ever have.

…But this moonlight escapade was not only different in my resolve; with the full moon out I could hear something… I felt as if I was drawn to it. Though I didn't know where I was going, I knew I had to go to 'it' whatever 'it' happened to be. And so I continued to run until I could barely run anymore, until the sun's rays began to creep over the horizon.

…That was when I saw it. I'd reached a gigantic lake seemingly in the middle of nowhere; the forest around was untouched by civilized Pokemon. A grin sprung to my face for the first time in what felt like forever at the idea that I may have been one of the first Pokemon to discover this. After all, nobody from where I lived ever spoke of a gigantic lake with a cave surrounded by lily pads in the middle of it. Strangely, a bridge of stepping stones shaped like large lily pads led straight to the cave entrance. If my youthful curiosity hadn't convinced me to cross the bridge into the cave, I could hear what was drawing me more clearly. It sounded like someone was talking from the cave in the lake.

So taking my courage in hand, I crossed the lily pads all the way to the cave. Carefully, I ducked my head inside and said: "Is anybody home?" My eyes widened in awe at the sight that awaited me. An odd blue pixie-like Pokemon with three ruby-embedded tails floated in the middle of the cave; its eyes shut. Beneath it, a particular symbol was engraved into the cave floor in blue gemstone. It was nostalgic… I'd seen this place before in vision. The Pokemon didn't respond, so I invited myself in. Boldly, I walked straight up to the Pokemon and tapped it on the hand. "Excuse me? Do you live here?" I asked simply. Slowly, the pixie-like Pokemon opened its eyes. "…Huh? What are you doing here?" He asked me, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "I had a vision of this place a long time ago… and then I heard you talking in your sleep." I explained shyly, bracing myself for the judgment I'd faced my entire life. "You… you did? But… you shouldn't have been able to." He seemed at a loss for what to do. "Nobody else in my family could, only me." I told him. "Well, my ex-family. They didn't want me anymore so I ran away. Now I don't have anywhere to live." Correcting myself, my gaze dropped to the ground sadly.

Looking back at this moment, he was probably frustrated beyond belief as he was unused to having visitors and had been asleep for a very long time. Comforting me as a child was probably the thing he least expected to be doing when he finally woke up.

"Why not?" He finally asked, giving in to the sad Kirlia before him. "They didn't like me because I was stronger than them. Want to see some sparkles?" I asked, spreading my arms and summoning moonlight to my hands. "That's…! What's your name?" He asked in surprise. "I'm Kirlia, one day I'll be a strong and beautiful Gardevoir!" I exclaimed with a smile. "So Kirlia… would you like to stay here with me? I'll teach you to…uh, make sparkles better. What do you think?" He asked, returning a smile. "Sure!" I answered. And just like that, I became best friends with and lived with a legend until I became a Gardevoir.

Before long, we were walking through the Berry Forest: Our last stop before Mistralton Town. As its name suggests, it's a forest composed of numerous berry trees and bushes of a large spectrum of berries. Though one would consider a gigantic berry orchard to be peaceful, it couldn't be further from the truth. Berries have numerous uses such as a food source, an ingredient in alcohol, and component of various kinds of natural medicines. Understandably, certain species of berries in bulk fetch a large price and so the allure of Poke draws in all sorts of unsavory types. Dragonite always had a story for me from the guild about their marks in Berry Forest; in fact he often claimed: 'When I go to capture outlaws in Berry Forest I don't even have to look; they come to me!' Though, he never had proof to back up his claims; that is other than to offer to take me with him on such a hunt which I politely declined.

For that reason alone, I knew it was unlikely that we'd get through Berry Forest without encountering any outlaws. "Gengar, Gardevoir… Be on the look out here. Berry Forest has a lot of outlaws, most are involved in the berry harvest but it's possible we could run into some much less friendly Pokemon." I explained and was met with confusion from both Pokemon in question. "Phfft. Like a few outlaws are going to bring me down. I'm practically one of them." Gengar rolled his eyes incredulously. "I thank you for the warning, Weavile, but honestly I think that at least you and I are perfectly capable of defending ourselves from a few outlaws, that is if we even see any. As you explained, most are involved in the berry harvest. As long as we respect their space they shouldn't give us any trouble." Gardevoir laughed, clearly not believing that Berry Forest held any threat to us whatsoever. "I wouldn't be warning you if I didn't have a reason to. There are often vicious attacks where Pokemon passing through turn up dead. I heard from Dragonite, who often deals with the area when he's called to do guild missions." I warned them yet again and was met with their continuous incredulous gazes.

"…You really should take her warning more seriously. After all, there are plenty of places for an outlaw to sneak up on someone with all of the berry bushes around." A voice from behind explained with a mocking tone. That voice… it sent a shiver down my spine, and both Gardevoir and Gengar seemed to take an alert stance when they saw who it belonged to. Taking a deep breath, I slowly turned around to meet said voice. My heart dropped when I saw who was standing behind me, and my leg throbbed with a dull ache in memory. "Happy to see me? Because I'm sure glad I caught up with you." Redstripe gave a barking laugh. "…Yeah, yeah! You really 'outta listen to the merc! You're really slippery, merc. It took us days to catch up! We could'a been stirring up trouble elsewhere!" A cackling voice, Drapion, exclaimed as he revealed himself from the berry bushes behind Gardevoir and Gengar.

"What do you want?" I growled, extending my razor sharp claws and dropping into a ready stance. "Your head. Nobody injures the mighty Redstripe and gets away with it!" He returned a growl, dropping into his own ready stance. "…And don't think I'm going easy on you, Lady Gardevoir, just because I've worked with you in the past." Redstripe remarked to the less-than-amused Gardevoir. "You must be mistaken; I don't work with outlaws." She grinned, moonlight springing to her hands. "Can we kill 'em? Can we?" Drapion chortled in anticipation of the coming fight. It was clear that a fight was inevitable, as we were trapped between the pair. "You two get Drapion, I have a dispute to settle with Redstripe." I told Gardevoir and Gengar, who nodded in response. Unfortunately for them, they had no choice as there was no time to argue: Redstripe was already prepared to strike. "Kill them all!" Redstripe shouted as he lunged toward me.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: We're almost nearing the end of the first arc of the story! Sorry it took so long to get the next chapter posted, I have a very busy schedule and I sometimes struggle to find time to type. I promise I have an idea of where the story is going to go though; I just have to get it down in a text document!

* * *

An uncharacteristically menacing smile spread across my face as I waited for the exact moment in his jump to make my move. As he travelled toward me I continued to wait, and saw the look in his eyes which seemed to read 'I've got you now!' and at the absolute last second before his claws and teeth would be upon me, I summoned up my newfound power granted from my scion blood to enhance both my reflexes and speed to almost impossible levels for an average Pokemon. The shock in his features was priceless as I moved in an instant behind him, inflicting a minor scratch to his side with my razor sharp claws in a mocking manner, as the damage I could've done was much greater. Redstripe obviously didn't realize this, and whirling around in anger at the insult I'd dealt to him, he let out a bloodcurdling snarl before advancing upon me once more. "I really don't think you want to fight with me this time, Redstripe, but I'll oblige if you insist. I'll be happy to bestow upon you death at my claws." I declared, examining my claws nonchalantly as he continued to charge toward me.

As he neared I jumped, jumping off of his back for distance. Whirling around in the air I used a series of dark energy slashes to create a scorched star mark in the dirt around Redstripe for style before finally directing a vertical slash to hit him directly. When the dust cleared, a sight that delighted me greatly awaited me. As I landed on the ground gracefully, I noticed Redstripe was greatly weakened by my attack (though only one energy slash hit him) and could barely stand. "What…trickery is this? This… isn't possible! You're cheating! This is… unreal!" He stammered; his eyes wide in a mix of disbelief and terror. "This is the end, Redstripe." I announced, and… and then I hesitated. My mind was caught in two directions: one was saying 'Kill him! Kill him for what he's done to you, he deserves to die. Make his blood paint the trees as a warning.' And the other was pleading 'Turn him in, like you agreed to do from the get go. You're a mercenary who believes in honour; give him the chance to pay his dues to those who suffered because of him. Use your badge to turn him in once and for all.'

I was obviously less than pleased that Weavile didn't want my help with Redstripe which left me paired with Gardevoir against Drapion. I could understand where she was coming from, with him almost killing her outright in their last meeting from what was supposed to be an easy hunt for some Poke. Though in the back of my mind I was still slightly concerned, as Redstripe obviously wasn't a Pokemon to play fair and honour does nobody any good when they're dead.

…And I didn't give a Rattata's buttock about Gardevoir. "You'd better not slow me down." I told her as I prepared a shadow ball for Drapion. "Likewise." She smiled politely, taking the same approach with a moonblast. It confused me at first why she would be using that kind of attack, as her power was at its weakest at this time of the day, but I soon recalled that Drapion have an affinity for darkness which would render any psy power she possessed useless. As a result, despite our advantage of numbers, Drapion would still likely be a tough opponent overall as I was in danger facing him as well. "Two versus one ain't fair! Ooough it just makes me so MAD! I ain't going easy on you, I'm telling you!" Drapion complained, shifting his gaze between the two of us as if he was picking a target.

Finally he settled, to my dismay, on me and made his way over at surprising speed for his size. "What?! Why me?" I shouted with disdain, dispersing the energy of my move before taking off in a run away from the marauding bug. "Well, you don't exactly present yourself as very strong. Plus, have you seen that scar you have?" Gardevoir laughed at the sight of my retreat from Drapion. 'She's just glad because she doesn't have a gigantic Drapion with a stinger chasing her.' I thought to myself, sparing the time to glance down at the jagged scar running diagonally down my body from one side to the other and roll my eyes before continuing my retreat. "He just didn't pick you because I have a battle scar. You don't get these from being weak; it's a sign of manliness. Obviously, I was the more worthy opponent." I explained proudly, and ironically. She snickered; the humor of the situation obviously wasn't lost to her, though I wasn't kidding. "Now both of ya calm down. I didn't pick ya because of your body art. I just don't fight pretty girlies. And you're kinda weak looking… kinda…poofy?" Drapion explained, stopping to think the last part over.

"Pretty girlies?!" Gardevoir shouted with rage. "Poofy?!" I echoed her anger, and the two of us immediately retaliated on him, her moonblast and my sudden power surge in a shadow ball. The result was an explosion which sent Drapion skidding directly into the base of a nearby tree, literally leaving a shallow trench in the ground with the force. "I'm glad we could find common ground on something." Gardevoir remarked, dusting herself off. "Hardly." I retorted, waiting at the ready for the dust to clear around Drapion. "Uugh…" He groaned, hunched over in the ground in weakness at the damage that the attack had caused. Suddenly, I heard Redstripe shout nearby: "Drapion! We're getting out of here!" and he immediately picked himself up. "So long, suckers." He cackled before making a speedy retreat.

…Using my hesitation to his advantage, Redstripe began his retreat through the trees. "This isn't over, you hear me, merc? I'm going to make you regret this." He growled as he disappeared into a nearby berry bush. No sooner than he was gone, I heard footsteps as Gengar and Gardevoir walked up behind me and my power finally receded. "They got away." I stated to nobody in particular with a sigh. "They'll be back, scum like them tend to resurface at the most inconvenient times." Gardevoir chuckled, seemingly in good cheer after the last battle. "We'll get them for sure next time, they hardly stood a chance." Gengar affirmed, giving me a reassuring pat on the back.

But what they didn't know was that it wasn't their retreat that bothered me: it was my own actions during the battle. I genuinely wanted Redstripe dead, which was very unlike me. I was an advocate for live captures in outlaw requests, that everybody be given the chance to reform and only the worst at the most desperate of times should be put down. But in the moment I just… I just wanted to tear him to pieces. Fortunately, they didn't seem to notice what was going on during my side of the battle and wouldn't know what was bothering me. "You're right; we'll catch them and put them to justice for sure next time. We'd best get moving if we want to make it to Mistralton by nightfall." I told them as I straightened, pushing my concerns aside to keep a brave face for the others. I did promise I'd get Gengar to Mistralton and I was just in sight of being able to do so.

The rest of the way to Mistralton was rather uneventful, to our surprise. At first we had concerns about the mercenaries having heard our fight and making their presence known to cause problems however we didn't see a single soul as we walked through the much too quiet Berry Forest. Though, as we got closer, it seemed that Gengar got more nervous as he absentmindedly scratched at the brand on his hand.

"Is everything okay?" I finally asked him, pulling him aside from Gardevoir and walking behind her as the trees began to thin signaling the change of terrain to the Mistralton Coast. "I'm fine. I just… have a bad feeling about this. It's probably nothing, though… maybe nerves before the big thing where I make up with Mistralton. I mean, I never really thought of what I was going to do when I got there. Do I turn myself in? Apologize to everybody? I really don't know how they'll receive me, given that they've never been fond of ghosts to begin with and I may as well be a ghost supervillain in their eyes." He admitted, his brows furrowing with worry. "We'll have to see when we get there; after all we can't know how they'll act for sure. Regardless of what happens I'll be there to support you. I may have just promised to help you to Mistralton, but I'm going to see it through to the end." I told him reassuringly, though in truth I was worried too; Gardevoir's warnings in the past of Mistralton still rung in my mind. "Are…are you sure? They might want me dead for all we know. I wouldn't want to drag you into it." He warned, averting his gaze from mine.

"Well I promise you aren't dying whether they want it or not, but regardless we'll make amends somehow. You trust me, don't you?" I asked, though hoped I already knew the answer. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks… your words mean a lot." He nodded, meeting my gaze once again with his genuine words. "Of course! Now we'd better hurry up before Gardevoir thinks weird things again!" I remarked cheerfully but Gengar seemed to pause to think about my words. "…She thinks weird things about…? Oh my Arceus." He groaned to himself before catching back up with us.

About an hour later of walking, Mistralton finally came into view, and I know it wasn't what any of us expected we'd see. As we neared the archway signifying the entrance to town, it was obvious that the town was in shambles. A sign right outside of town read: 'Danger, keep out – Magnezone Crime Prevention', or at least that's what it seemed through the numerous scribbles which had been drawn on the sign. A number of bouquets and wildflowers lay under the sign, likely in tribute to the victims of the invasion. The archway, which had previously been a welcome to visitors, read: 'Welcome to Ghost Town' as Mistralton was crossed out and followed with numerous 'kehehehe's' having been added as an afterthought of the writer. No sooner than we'd finished our initial inspection, a group of Shuppet and Misdreavus rose above the town. They seemed to giggle mockingly at the sight of us before receding back below the houseline. One even stuck out its tongue. I glanced at Gengar, who put a new meaning to 'as pale as a ghost'. "So, what now?" Gardevoir asked nobody in particular, though she didn't sound completely surprised at the sight that lay before us. Gengar promptly ran to the nearby tree and vomited. I followed behind, rubbing his back. "It's okay, we'll make this right." I told him soothingly, and suddenly I noticed something on the hand that he supported himself on the tree with. His brand had shown itself and began to glow fiercely.

When we'd finally sorted ourselves out, Gengar rose, standing in front of us as if he were about to say something. "I have a feeling I know why this happened. I had a close supporter I guess you could call it, a second hand, when I organized our protest in front of Mistralton. She was a lot more radical about it than I was, I guess her enthusiasm about 'ghost rights' egged me on a bit and our protest went much further than it should have. When you and the others had me cornered, Gardevoir, I have a feeling it was her that rallied the others to continue their attack… I never thought we'd have enough strength to cause this much damage regardless of what happened. I have a feeling it's her who we're going to have to find and take down… and do what we can to restore Mistralton to what it was before my stupid mistake." He explained with a newfound determination, his brand burning ever brightly on his hand. "Are you with me?" He asked the both of us, and we shared a glance before nodding. "I already told you I'm with you to the end." I reminded him, giving him a determined smile and put my paw out in front of me. "I go where Weavile goes." Gardevoir shrugged, covering my paw with her hand. "So be it." Gengar affirmed, adding his hand to ours with team spirit. "Hurray!" I shouted, raising my paw to the sky and earning confused looks from both Gengar and Gardevoir who hadn't moved from position. "What? I thought we were going to do a cheer." I slowly lowered my paw, an embarrassed blush coloring my cheeks.

"So who, may I ask, is this ghost you keep talking about? It might be beneficial for us to know who we're going up against beforehand." Gardevoir cleared her throat, changing the subject mercifully for me. "Well… she called herself Banette and she had this stone unlike anything I'd ever seen. I don't really know how to describe it, but when she used it, it changed her appearance. You'll probably see what I mean when we get there." Gengar explained thoughtfully. "Do you know if it does anything relevant to when we fight her?" Gardevoir pressed him for information. "I don't know any better than you do. I didn't see her fight; I was kind of busy trying not to die." He scowled at Gardevoir meaningfully. "So what you're saying is you really don't know anything of value other than that she has an interesting outfit and a good taste in jewelry?" Gardevoir smirked at the idea. "Pretty much." Gengar shrugged. "Sounds like my type of girl." She giggled earning pointed glances in both directions. "What? Can't I appreciate a Pokemon with a good sense of style?" She sighed, shaking her head. "We'll see if she truly has a good sense of style when we get there, Gardevoir. Then maybe we can take her out shopping after a good beat down." I remarked optimistically, and the two of us began to walk arm and arm into the condemned town of Mistralton as we found common ground in the latest fashion hits. "Girls…" Gengar rolled his eyes before following along behind us. 'It's ridiculous that they can walk into a town with danger at every corner and fighting ahead while talking about fashion.'


	11. Chapter 11

Despite the show earlier, the various ghost-type Pokemon didn't seem willing to confront us directly and instead kept their distance. However, that didn't stop them from interfering in our struggle to reach the far side of town we expected to find Banette waiting. I growled in irritation as I sidestepped a pan that had fallen from seemingly nowhere and nearly hit me in the head. Gardevoir merely smirked at me cheekily, her hands clasped in front of her as she put her psy into erecting a barrier that the ghost's pranks couldn't breach. "Shit!" Gengar cursed behind us, and I glanced over my shoulder to see him face down in the dirt. "I can't stand this anymore! If I see those little dirt bags I'm going to…" He growled, muttering a few suitable punishments as he stood back up and dusted himself off. I couldn't help but let a giggle escape at his irritation but truly I found it just as annoying as he did. "What's so funny? I don't understand what you find so humorous." He hissed at me, and I could almost see the steam coming from his ears. "It's just… you fell so suddenly, and you were behind us so I don't know how you coul- Ow!" I shouted as a hard object bounced off of my head and clattered in the dirt. "Hmph." Gengar humphed, unsympathetic toward my pain. Suddenly, we heard peals of laughter ring out from ahead of us. "Oh! The look on your faces!" Gardevoir gasped between laughter. Gengar and I simultaneously rolled our eyes and grudgingly quickened our pace, eager to be away from the nuisance of the ghosts.

However we didn't have to wait long, as I noticed a Shuppet about to chuck a rotten apple at us suddenly reconsider his actions and flee. "Hey, did you see that?" I asked and was met with the confused gazes of Gengar and Gardevoir. "That Shuppet… it acted strange." I explained to the pair. "Maybe it thought you were about to deck it like I would've if I'd have seen it." Gengar rolled his eyes sarcastically. "I didn't see it. Not like I have to worry about rotten apples being thrown at me." Gardevoir explained with a smile. "Well… maybe Gengar is right. I was certainly tempted to use my power to blast it into dust. It must've seen it coming." I explained, though something certainly seemed off.

…That was when we saw it. "Look!" Gardevoir pointed at one of the rooftops. I followed her finger to a lone figure illuminated by the moonlight sitting on the edge of a building. Behind the figure, a long scarf billowed ominously. "Hmph. What kind of loser wears a scarf?" Gengar scoffed as Gardevoir and I approached the figure. When we reached the building that the figure sat atop, we realized in surprise that the figure we saw was a Weavile… and a male. He couldn't have been much older than I was from his build, and he didn't even seem to notice us below him. He seemed fixated on watching the moon in the sky. "Hey!" I shouted and he still didn't move from his spot. "…Who dares approach?" He finally asked, not facing us with his question. "Well, my name is Wea- oh, uhh… Well…" I realized awkwardly that maybe that wasn't an appropriate greeting when speaking to the same species.

He seemed intrigued by my awkwardness and finally turned to look down at us. His eyes were a burning crimson red that reminded me of blood, and he had a jagged scar that travelled diagonally over his right eye. The red scarf wrapped around his neck still fluttered gently in the breeze. "She's a Weavile, and I'm Gengar. That weirdo in the back is Gardevoir." Gengar filled in, a glare fixated on the foreign Weavile. "Hey! I'm not weird!" Gardevoir scoffed. "Hmph. You are fools to have come speak to I. Begone, and leave me to blissful solitude." He gestured dismissively before turning back toward the moon. "Talk about antisocial. We were just curious about what you were doing in a horrible place like this." I explained with a sigh. And I was curious about seeing another Weavile, as the only others of my species I knew were my family before they passed away. "If not you, it is I who will take my leave." The Weavile announced, standing up slowly from his perch. "Great, we were just leaving." Gengar responded, grabbing me by the arm and dragging me in the opposite direction. "Hey!" I shouted. "Wait!" Gardevoir yelled at the Weavile's back. "…Speak." He finally said after a pause. "Who are you?" She asked simply. Another pause. "…If you were to find out, it would be with time's passage. Though it is better if you do not." He responded mysteriously before jumping to another rooftop and receding into the darkness.

"Hmph. What a loser." Gengar rolled his eyes as he finally let go of my arm. "Well, you didn't have to be so standoffish." I responded with a shrug. "That was the first time I met a member of my own species since… yeah." The memory made me shudder. "I think we'll see him again. He was so…cool!" Gardevoir exclaimed suddenly, sparkles in her eyes. Gengar snorted in response. "What makes you think that?" He asked. "Well, didn't you hear him? He said that later we'd find out who he was. You can't meet someone without meeting them!" Gardevoir explained excitedly. "…Well it would be nice to find out why he was here, and who he is. I'm curious about how other Weavile live." I admitted curiously. "What?! No way, we'd better not see that loser again." Gengar growled in annoyance, it was dead obvious that he didn't like that Weavile. "Let's get moving, we can't meet anybody if we die to Banette." He explained, moving behind me and pushing me to move. I rolled my eyes and complied…and proceeded to crash right into Gardevoir's back as she clutched her head. "Hey… are you okay?" I asked worriedly. Gengar and I shared a meaningful glance, but before long Gardevoir rose to her feet. "I'm fine." She told us, smiling cheerfully.

As we neared the center of Mistralton where we expected to find Banette, Gardevoir tapped me on the shoulder and gestured to come. I nodded, slowing to fall in line with her strides. _This is going to feel weird but it's probably in our best interest if I don't have this conversation out loud._ I heard in my head, and then quickly realized it was likely Gardevoir's telepathy. I nodded for her to continue. _It might come as a shock, but ever since I was little I've been having…visions… of the future._ My eyes went wide in shock and I shot her a questioning glance. _I know; I've been hiding it from you. But I haven't had a vision since joining you…until now. I've had negative experiences in the past with sharing my visions; however I swore I would do anything in my power to repay you for what you've done for me. So, this is going to be difficult, but I'm going to share what I've seen._ I paused before nodding for her to continue. _You need to control yourself better…or…_ her eyes flicked over to Gengar's back.

"What?!" I shouted out loud, disturbed by the implications of Gardevoir's warning. Gengar glanced back at us, "Is there a problem?" he asked with one eyebrow raised. "N-no… nothing wrong, I just… thought I saw something." I murmured, embarrassed. Gengar rolled his eyes, muttering something along the lines of 'girls…' before continuing toward the central plaza of Mistralton. I shot Gardevoir a pleading glance, to which she shook her head. _I can't say any more, but I get the feeling you understand my warning more than you think you do._ And with that, she walked away, leaving me staring dumbfounded at her receding form.

As we walked through the central plaza a voice rang out from above: "Is that you, Gengie?" I glared as the owner of the voice floated down in front of us, that being Banette. "Gengie?" Weavile spat, and I could almost feel her cutting glare on my back. "H-hey… It's not like that!" I explained, taking a step back from Weavile. With a 'shick' sound her claws came out. "Hmhmhm… he's right, he was the perfect fool, but no more." She chuckled. "Why you..!" I growled, sending a shadow ball toward her tiny form. "Hehe. Did you actually think I liked you? Well he's the truth Gengie, you were the perfect tool." She giggled, vanishing from the spot where the shadow ball was headed and reappearing nearby.

"Just stop it, Banette. Here's the deal: You leave Mistralton with the ghosts, and nobody gets hurt." Weavile explained, pointing her claws at the Pokemon in question. "Oh? Oh? You want to hurt me? Do you think that you can? Perhaps you could. But I'm not alone." She explained with a whistle, and two figures came out from behind nearby buildings. And those Pokemon were…

"Redstripe and Drapion?" Weavile gasped, disbelief written on her face. "What's going on here?" I mirrored her disbelief in my voice. "Surprised, hunter? This was never just about a few stolen goods from a Kecleon. We're from the same organization… one that captures scions to train and research them." Redstripe barked a laugh. "Aye and you were the one who got away… after we killed your brother!" Drapion cackled alongside his companion. I could almost see the steam pouring from Weavile's ears. "Shut up, morons. You're going to give everything away!" Banette yelled at the pair. "Then why…" She started, energy crackling on her claws and her eyes glowing a bright red. "Did you have to destroy Gengar's life and kill innocents?!" She screeched, taking off in a sprint toward Redstripe and Drapion. "Why, the answer is simple… The guild took this." Banette explained, her hands falling to her necklace, which held one dull grey medium-sized gem. "That thing? It looks like garbage." I scoffed at the piece of jewelery.

"Hmhmhmhm…" Banette chuckled, a bright light suddenly escaping the gem and blinding us. "Ngh… I can't see!" I shouted, covering my stinging eyes. In that split second, I finally realized that Gardevoir had been quiet throughout the whole exchange. Not that I could inquire about it at the time. "Garbage, you say?" Banette asked, and when the light faded an unbelievable sight presented itself. Banette was no longer… Banette. She was much larger than she previous had been, with zippers on her arms revealing sharp claws. Her torso possessed a zipper as well showing her pink body. A sadistic grin was plastered on her face, and a zipper ran gruesomely across her head as a scar may have. The previously dull gem was adorned on her forehead, emitting a bright light. "Tell me, is it still garbage?" She cackled, sending a shadow ball larger than I was in our direction. Suddenly Gardevoir leapt at me and I hit the ground while the shadow ball whizzed overhead. "Take the gem from her forehead." She whispered in my ear. I was about to protest but she gave me a grim look before saying "Your life depends on this." and getting up to face Banette defiantly.

"Come and get me, zipper-face." Gardevoir shouted; twin orbs of moonlight appearing in her hands as she tossed one at the transformed Pokemon before taking off in a run. "Zipper-face? You will regret your words, scion-wannabe." Banette growled, sending a blue fire to block her path. Quickly, I took Gardevoir's advice, leaping toward Banette while she was distracted and landing on her back. "…You! Get off!" Banette exclaimed, reaching toward her back and her claws missing me by a hair's breadth. 'Holy Arceus, I nearly got decapitated.' I thought to myself in terror. "You're forgetting someone!" Gardevoir shouted; twin orbs of moonlight colliding with Banette. I quietly swallowed my fears and climbed up toward her head.

"So be it, you're first if you want to die so bad." Banette smiled a wide, menacing smile before dousing the spot where I was standing in a blue flame I recognized as ghost fire. Fortunately for me, I had the foresight to teleport from that location to a nearby location. "Hey! Over here!" I shouted, throwing an orb of moonlight at Banette. She growled, spinning to face me and nearly causing Gengar to lose his grip. "Perhaps burning you to a crisp isn't the way to go… how about something that one might call… super-effective!" She cackled, sending another shadow ball hurling my way. Though I had no clue what this 'super-effective' business was; I quickly erected a barrier and braced myself for the oncoming collision. Unfortunately for me, the shadow ball collided with the barrier and continued to travel rather than dissipating. "Rrrgh…" I pushed back against the shadowy energy, which with the force I might add was about the equivalent of getting a sledgehammer to the head. "I got it!" I heard Gengar shout, before the shadow energy began to fade.

Surely enough, Gengar was holding the gem triumphantly above his head; though to his disdain Banette still hadn't reverted to her regular form. I, on the other hand, was not surprised. "She can still maintain the transformation with her energy; she just can't trigger it again without the gem. You have to weaken her to stop it!" I called to Gengar who glared back. "If you already knew that, you should've said something!" He facepalmed, before Banette's claw came sailing toward his head. "Pay attention, you moron! It's not like I had time to explain everything!" I retorted as he quickly jumped off of Banette's head to safety, gem in tow. "How do you know this anyway?! Are you part of the organization too?" He growled, and went to create a shadow ball.

However, a bright light encompassed the area much like with Banette. "What?!" I heard Banette shout in disbelief. When the light faded, Gengar had transformed much like Banette. Flames of shadow radiated from his wrists and the gem had embedded itself in his own forehead, emitting a bright red color. "Hey… what happened? And why am I not gigantic like her?" Gengar scoffed, disappointed more than he should be given the situation. "Just do something!" I exclaimed with unmasked frustration. "This shouldn't be happening…!" Banette gasped, and quickly she directed the brunt of her attacks at Gengar, who emerged unscathed from the fire and the shadow. "My turn." He grinned, calling shadow to his hands and retaliating with an orb of shadow radiating with power. "To use your words: It's super-effective." Gengar laughed as the orb of shadow exploded against Banette. As the smoke cleared, Banette's tiny form was revealed. "That was cool." Gengar stated, examining his hands as we walked toward her battered form. "P-please don't hurt me… I just wanted to see my human again." Banette pleaded, backing up tearfully.

But she didn't last long, as a bloodied Weavile appeared suddenly behind her, a downward slice of her claws tearing Banette's ghostly form apart mercilessly. Gengar stared in disbelief at the spot where Banette had just been. "Are you okay? You didn-" He began to say before he met her gaze. Weavile wasn't there, and her eyes possessed the dead quality of a killer. Glancing off in the direction where Weavile had gone, two bloodied patches of stone and torn bodies explained what had happened. The blood that covered Weavile from head to toe was not her own.


End file.
